Is This For Real?
by SonicShaymin2
Summary: Melody, A huge fan of the anime Naruto wishes for her life to be different. Now she is in the Naruto Universe and now she has to survive all of the dangers and trials. Along the way she meets Team 7, and all of the other heroes and enimies. Can she change the way of the characters and help them get along? Or will she make everything worse for the Team? Thinking about a pairing...
1. Enter Naruto Uzumaki!

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**The following is a Fan-Fiction. I do NOT own Naruto or anything to do with it. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. If I did own Naruto I would put more Kiba scenes in it. I only own all of my OC's that I have made up. Please don't sue me…**_

_**Is This Real?**_

**Melody's POV:**

I flicked through the pages of a book that I am forced to read for some stupid test that I am supposed to study for. I have been doing this for the past five minutes and already I am bored.

"Man, this is such a drag…" I say to myself, I chuckled trying to count all the times I've heard that line.

I throw the book down on the ground and turn on the T.V. and luckily my favourite anime is on. Naruto. I lay on my bed so relaxed. EW! I just saw Naruto use the Sexy Jutsu. This is the one thing I dislike about some anime. Yuck! I cover my eyes to shield them from the torment. Thank you sweet hands, what would I do without you.

My name is Melody Yakamashi (1). I am your average girl. Except I am the only girl I know beside my sister Gracie who likes anime. Everyone else says 'You're such a boy!' and 'how could you watch it? It's stupid!' But I don't mind. My sister Gracie used to be as interested in Naruto as I am now, but she doesn't enjoy it anymore. She says 'We all have to grow out of it sometime.' And whenever her friends come over she tells me not to embarrass her by talking about it around her friends. Personally, I think that she needs a better choice of friends. In my opinion, they're pretty snobby.

I have light brown hair that goes down to my upper back with streaks of blond hair running down the back. I have calm dark green eyes. I wear a sleeveless blue top and a pair of jeans followed by black leather boots.

My sister is the one who takes care of me. Our parents died in a car crash. Well that's what Grace told me. I'm not sure if that's true or not, oh well. So Grace is a bit of a nagger. Nag, nag, nag, that's all she does.

Suddenly I hear… Nothing. I take my hands off of my face and it turns out that my sister has turned off my T.V. while my favourite show is on.

"Grace! What'd you do that for?" I yelled at her. This made me mad.

Grace has short blond hair that only just reaches her shoulders. She has blue eyes and has slightly tanned skin. She wore a white top with a black cardigan. She wore black shorts with black high tops.

She looked at me with a frown.

"Listen, you can't just drop all of the work that you are doing and go watch cartoons-"

"Anime." I corrected her.

"Look, my point is that you need to study and to make sure that happens…" Grace took out the batteries out of my remote. "I'll be taking these…" And with that she walked out while closing the door behind her.

Now I know what you're thinking 'Just go up to your T.V. and operate it manually.' Pft… Well I would… If I could… But I cannot…

…

…

…

Okay you got me. I can't be bothered, it's too much work. So instead I take out my portable DVD player and-

"And don't even think about watching it on your DVD player!" My sister called out to me from the hall.

"This is such a drag…" I repeated. I chuckled once more. That never gets old.

~Is this for real?~

I tossed and turned in my bed but I couldn't fall asleep tonight. I didn't study for my test all that much because I was a little disappointed that I couldn't watch much Naruto today thanks to my sister of course. I looked at the time on my wall clock and it was close to midnight. I sat up and sighed.

'I am so going to fail that test.' I thought to myself.

The time ticked to one minute to midnight.

I stared at my teddy bear… Don't judge me! We've all had them! I cuddled him. Once again, don't give me that look!

I ripped the blankets off of me and hopped out of the bed. I walked up to my bedroom window and looked out to the starry night.

"I wish I didn't have to take that dumb test…" I mumbled to myself.

The clock ticked to midnight.

"I wish I could be on amazing ninja missions like the characters in Naruto do… I wish I could tag along with them." I continued.

I continued to silently watch out the window when I saw the reflection of my sister in it. I turned to her.

"Oh yes, I'm sure that we'd all like to go to that world and do that sort of stuff." My sister told me sarcastically.

Curses! She was listening to my private 'Me Time' conversation.

The clocked ticked. One past twelve.

"Now go back into bed. You need to get up early tomorrow for school… And you've also got to get up for that test, even if you like it or not." She finished. I climbed into bed and rolled onto my side.

"Once you get up in the morning, you should probably be a little quicker so then you can study for it longer." She said before she shut my door behind her when she left.

I guess I was starting to get a little sleepy. So I shut my eyes and tried to rest in the darkness. I suddenly got a very troublesome headache, so that stopped me from sleeping for a little while, but I managed to finally fall asleep, even with my headache and with my nervousness. I did it.

I opened my eyes. It was cold and I was outside. I heard yelling and laughing. It sounded like a kid. I shoved it off and rolled over onto my back.

"Naruto! Come back here! When I get my hands on you!" One of the people yelling growled.

What? Naruto? Did I hear this right?

"You've really crossed the line Naruto!" Another yelling person yelled.

Damn it, stop your yelling!

I quickly sat up and it turns out that I was on the mountain with all of the Hokage's faces on them. And I saw Naruto… With a paint bucket.

This is such a realistic dream. I may not have been able to watch it on television but at least my dreams will still understand me.

The ninja did the same thing as they did in the episode. They were bouncing ninja's and somehow Naruto managed to paint the faces just by jumping around carelessly. Wait a minute… How in the world did he paint so many colours on their faces with a bucket with just yellow paint in it? Oh well. And I felt a splash of paint go onto my face. It felt so real. I ignored it. Less thinking, more stalking… In other words I somehow managed to climb off of the giant rock and I followed them all… Like a ninja would…

"Give it up!" Naruto called out laughing. "You're just bent because you don't have the guts to do what I do! Do you? Losers! Wannabes! You'll never catch me!" Naruto laughed again.

They were jumping around and this confused me. Naruto and the other ninja jumped away and it turns out that Naruto was behind a camouflage sheet. He pulled it off and by some miracle I managed to catch up.

He laughed. "That was too easy!" He said rubbing the back of his head.

"You know that you're going to get caught any second now, right?" I say to him.

He looked confused, but smiled again. "No way! Why would you think that?" He asked.

"That's why." I say pointing at Iruka Sensei.

Naruto looked at the sensei behind him and screamed while he jumped forward.

"Where'd you come from Iruka Sensei?" Naruto yelled. "What are you doing here?"

I watched this argument. Man, I must've watched this over nine thousand times. This was extremely accurate.

"No what are_ you_ doing here? You're supposed to be in class." Iruka said while he pointed at the blonde haired boy.

"Um…" I said softly. They both looked at me. "May I come too please?" I asked. I motioned for Iruka to lower his head down and covered my mouth as I whispered into his ear.

"I'll keep Naruto under control." I promise. He looked at me and I looked back with a sincere look. He nodded slowly. I smiled on the outside, but it took all my will-power to not fist-pump the air. This is the best day ever!

~Is this for real?~

And now we are at the academy for ninja training. Naruto was tied up and I watched as Iruka lectured him.

"I'm at the end of my rope, Naruto…" Ha! Get the joke there? "You've failed the graduation test last time and the time before that. Tomorrow, you've got another chance and you're messing up again."

Iruka, give the guy a break… I felt like punching him but not in front of this entire class with a lot of cool characters in it.

Naruto huffed and looked away from Iruka. Oh boy now everyone's in for it…

I couldn't find out what to think of Iruka's face expression. He was smiling weirdly and on top of that, veins were popping out of his head. He points to the class.

"Fine! Because you missed it Naruto, everyone will review the Transformation-Jutsu!"

Everyone starts complaining. Personally, I would feel excited to show-off around Naruto, but I guess everyone has their opinions.

Everyone lines up, except for me. I think I might show-off a bit and surprise everyone. I am so diabolical it hurts!

Sakura goes first. Damn her, that show-off. Eh, I guess it's natural.

"Okay, Sakura here," Yes, yes, we all know your name! You don't need to announce it every episode that you live, just hurry up before I die of boredom. "Let's do it, **Transform!**" Eh, I guess she did okay… So what if she turned herself into Iruka perfectly, not scared… I can do that too!

"You transformed into me, good…" Iruka had a checklist. I like it.

Sakura transformed back into herself. "Yes I did it!" She kept on repeating that for a while. I guess Inner Sakura is blabbering on again. "Sasuke, did you see that?" It took all of the will-power I had in my entire body not to face-palm at the sight. Naturally Sasuke ignored her and remained unimpressed. Good job Sasuke!

"Next Sasuke Uchiha!" Sakura moved away to make room for Sasuke. I've never noticed this before, but he looks a lot younger than he is without his headband. CUE SCREAMING FANGIRLS!

Iruka scribbled something on the list of awesomeness while Sasuke transformed silently.

"Ah, good…" Iruka commented.

Sasuke quickly changed back into himself, personally I would've done it sooner because you know, I'm a girl… And that would be… Weird.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka called out as Sasuke walked off. I could barely hear Shikamaru and Ino talking to Naruto.

"This is a total waste of time, Naruto" Shikamaru commented.

"We always pay for your screw-ups." Ino complained. She's a screw-up.

"Like I care…" Naruto replied.

I saw Hinata blushing a little at Naruto. I feel sorry for her to be honest

Uh-oh. I knew what was going to happen next. The worst part. I'm using the ancient ninja art of covering my eyes so then they don't bleed.

"**Transform!"** He called out.

Thank goodness I didn't see **that**! I heard Iruka screaming and then Naruto starting to laugh frantically.

"Got you! That was my Sexy-Jutsu." Yeah I could tell. Well no not really. That's gross, yuck! That is an embarrassment to women everywhere!

"Cut the stupid tricks!" Iruka yelled. Naruto stopped laughing. "This is your last warning!" Wait a minute, did his head grow three times the size of his own head? What is the deal with that? I have to admit that Iruka is starting to scare me now.

"Hey Iruka Sensei…" I said. "Do you mind if I tried the transformation-Jutsu?" I asked.

"Sure…"

"Melody. Melody Yakamashi." I say.

"Yes Melody you can. Have you tried it before?" He asked me as I walked up in front of him.

"No, but I think I can give it a shot." I answer. I turned to Naruto and I gave him a sympathetic look, but instead he walked away… Jerk.

I get the hand sign ready and I remembered what Sakura said about controlling Chakra. Thank you for once Sakura.

"**Transform!**" I call out and a cloud of smoke surrounds me, but soon enough it clears.

"That's pretty good for a first try." Iruka said.

I transformed back into myself. Uh, that was weird.

"You actually transformed better than Naruto!" Ino commented.

I was actually compelled to make a peace sign, but that would probably upset Naruto, even if it is just a dream.

"Eh, its beginners luck." I say trying to make Naruto at least look at me. I frown. Well it's time to go climb a giant rock. Damn it! After I just got down from there too!

~Is this for real?~

I was "Invited" by Iruka to come with both him and Naruto to the giant rock. I was sitting up with Iruka while Naruto wiped the faces back to normal with a wet cloth.

"This sucks…" Naruto complained. I felt a little sorry for him, but hey, he did the crime so he's doing the time, or something around those lines…

"You're not going home until you've cleaned off every single drop of paint, Naruto." Iruka called out to him.

Naruto looked up at his sensei and he looked a little mad. "So? It's not like I have anyone waiting at home for me or something!" He called. I know what he means in a way. Instead of coming home to a loving family, I come back home to Grace. And that's like having Orochimaru living with you. Naruto continued to wipe up the paint.

"You know he does love ramen. Maybe it'll make him happier if we went to the ramen shop." I looked at Iruka and he looked at me. "I sure would like some ramen." I say annoyingly. "I've never tasted ramen before… It sure would be nice to have some ramen…" I wink at him. I wink again. It's like he's still not getting me. "Dude I want some ramen! Just take the both of us there, oh and feel free to treat us to it too." I say.

"Fine…"

"Naruto we're going out for ramen soon, you can come with us too if you want. But you've got to work fast." I say looking at my watch. "You've got five minutes."

Naruto's face lit up and he worked like he had just taken steroids or something. Don't do it!

"Now that's some serious motivation! I'll have it cleaned up in no time!" Naruto called out while he was working.

Now I believe this is the part where the title starts. Believe it! That is fun!

_**Episode one:**_

_**Enter Naruto Uzumaki**_

~Is this for real?~

We all sat at the ramen shop. Man, Naruto was right! This stuff is amazing! I thought he was just being annoying by talking about ramen, but no, apparently he wasn't. Naruto and I were enjoying stuffing our faces, that is until Iruka budded in. Curse you Iruka, I will get you back for this!

"Naruto…" He started.

"Mmm?" Naruto said while eating the ramen.

"Why would you do that to the Hokage faces? I mean you do know who the Hokage are don't you?" Iruka asked.

"Of course he does." I say as politely as possible, and then I continue to stuff my face. 'Man this is good…' I thought.

Naruto stopped eating and looked up to Iruka. "Yeah, it's true I do!" Naruto agreed, and then he started stuffing his face again. He picked up the bowl and slurped up the remaining bits of ramen and set the bowl back down.

"Everybody knows, they were the greatest Shinobi of their time right? The best of the best, undefeated ninja champs." Naruto answered. "And the forth Hokage is the one who saved the village from the Nine Tailed Fox, he was the most amazing."

Iruka obviously doesn't know how to understand us kids today. He had a confused look on his face.

"Then why did you-" He got cut off by Naruto. Hooray!

"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them…" Oh great here it comes… "Me. Naruto. The next Hokage, a ninja legend!" He pointed at his terrified sensei who looked like he was going to do a spit take, and he had a noodle hanging out of his mouth. "Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and look up to me," Oh here is the best part. "Believe it!" Iruka slurped the noodle in his mouth, like a boss.

"Yeah, right on!" I say. We fist-pump each-other. Well that felt real enough… Weird. Oh well.

"Uh, by the way sensei, can I ask you a favour?" Naruto asked.

"What? Do you want another bowl?" Clueless…

Naruto shook his head. "I want to try on your headband, come on. Please?" He begged clapping his hands together.

"This?" Iruka asked. Nah, the headband that says 'please kill me now' on it, of course it's that headband! "No way. You can only wear the leaf headband when you finally graduate from the academy and become a ninja." Iruka explained. "You've got to pass the test tomorrow." He added.

"That is so uncool!" Naruto pouted.

"Hey, is that why you took off your goggles?" Iruka joked. Nah. It's to go off to Jupiter and fly with magical flying ponies!

Naruto growled. "I want another bowl!" Iruka and I laughed.

Uh oh. I forgot something, I must be able to stay somewhere. I know.

"Naruto, speaking of favours. Can I ask you one?" I asked. He looked at me. "Well you see, I'm not exactly from here and I have no money, so is it okay if I stay with you?"

"Well…" He sounded quite unsure.

"Come on, I'll pay rent by helping you learn how to do the Transformation-Jutsu, not that your Sexy-Jutsu isn't effective, please I'm desperate. You're my friend Naruto, please!" I say as I get on my hands and knees.

I see his face light up.

"Okay, but this better not be a trick or something." He says cautiously.

I leap at him and give him the biggest hug that I have ever given anyone.

"Thank you Naruto! You are the best! And I mean that! Thank you so much!" I squeal.

"Okay, I get it Melody, you are thanking me but you are also choking me!" He calls out. I loosened my grip but I didn't let go. I say this again. This is the best day ever!

~Is this for real?~

We were back at the Ninja Academy for ninja's now, the night went so fast. And now it was time for the graduation exam. Ha! I've only been there for a day and now I get to graduate. Isn't it weird how life turns out that way?

"We will now start the final exam. When your name is called, please proceed to the testing room." Iruka explained. "The final test will be on the Clone-Jutsu." He added.

It was at that moment that Naruto looked like he was going to have a heart attack. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine Naruto. You are a great ninja after all." I say trying to calm him down. He smiled nervously at me and it was like he was trying to say 'I'm going to fail!' poor Naruto. "Hey, if you want me to, I can come in with you. You know for support." I added. He nodded.

"Thanks, Melody." He said with a small smile. I smiled back at him.

"Naruto Uzumaki." It's his turn. Hopefully Naruto doesn't have a heart attack. Well at least things will get interesting.

We entered the room and I told Naruto that I would try it out first, that way he could feel more confident. I did the hand sign and I managed to make three clones of myself. Eh, it's better than none. No offence Naruto. I then undid the Jutsu so now there is just one of me.

I walked over to Naruto and gave him a high five.

"Don't worry, stay calm, and you'll do fine Naruto." I say and he nodded.

Naruto did the hand sign and I could see the Chakra flowing around him.

"**Clone-Jutsu**!" He called out and a puff of smoke surrounded him. He did make a clone, but it looked lifeless, like as in dead. It was as pale as a ghost, and it lay flat on the ground.

Naruto covered his mouth with one hand. He knew that he just screwed up.

Iruka didn't look much better. He looked like he had just came out of an oven. He was looking quite sweaty as one of his eye's started to twitch.

"You fail!" He called out. Naruto looked scared and shocked of his sensei.

"Iruka Sensei." Mizuki started off. "He is off but his moves weren't bad and he did hang in there and replicate. This is his first try so you know that he really wants to become a ninja. We could cut him a break and pass him." Mizuki explained. This made Naruto's pout turn into a big smile. Seriously, a hundred flies could've easily flown their way in there.

"Mizuki Sensei…" Iruka started. "The other students created at least three effective replications. But Naruto could only create one, and look at it… It's pitiful." Iruka explained as he looked at the lifeless clone. "I can't pass him." This made Naruto's smile turn into an angry frown as he gritted his teeth.

I looked at his sadly. "Come on, Naruto," I say sympathetically. "Let's go." He makes a small nod and we both walk out of the testing room.

Everybody else wore their ninja headbands and they started chatting away about how happy they were to pass. I kept my headband in my bag. I didn't want to upset Naruto even more. This just isn't his day today. I mean come on! Everybody's parents came. They kept on saying stuff like 'Congratulations for your graduation' and 'I'm real proud of you son' also 'let's celebrate. I'll cook something good tonight' you know all of the things that any loving person would say.

Naruto just hung out on the swing sadly. He stared down at the ground. Poor guy. I overheard some girls talking about Naruto. I looked at them angrily.

"There. You see him?" Female number one said as she looked over at Naruto.

"It's that boy. I heard that he's the only one who failed." Number two replied in a whisper.

Number one huffed. "Well it serves him right."

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja." Number two started. "I mean he's the one who-"

"Shh… We're not allowed to talk about it." Number one interrupted.

"Don't be so hard on him." I say to the two females. "It's not his fault. He is still a human being. Don't ever let me catch you talking about him that way again, or else!" I say raising a fist up at them. I ignored the looks that they gave me and I turned away from them and walked over to the lonely blonde.

"Hey Naruto, are you alright?" I ask him.

He didn't bother looking at me. "What do you think?" He mumbled. "I'm the only one in the entire academy who failed. I can't even do a Clone-Jutsu." He added.

I was stuck for words. I didn't know how to solve this problem. It was then when we both heard Mizuki landed on the ground. We both turned to face the smiling man. He made me sick! Naruto looked at him with a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.

"Naruto, would you like to come talk with me for a moment? I have something that I would like to talk to you about." He then looked at me. "You may come too if you want." He added. Naruto and I looked at each other. We nodded slowly and we rushed off with him.

~Is this for real?~

We were on what I guessed to be Mizuki's balcony for his home. I just listened to the two talking. I didn't want to bud in. Maybe I could learn a Jutsu on the Sacred Scroll of Sealing too. Mizuki's voice was pretty calming, I can't lie to anyone about that. If only he wasn't so cruel.

"Iruka Sensei is tough, but he's definitely not against you." Mizuki explained calmly.

"Then why?" Naruto asked. "Why only me?"

"He wants you to become strong with all of his heart," He explained. "But that will never happen if he goes easy on you. He's like you, you know, no parents, no family…"

"But this time… This time I really wanted to graduate…" Naruto said sadly.

Mizuki laughed a little. "Then I guess I have to tell you…" At this point I really felt invisible, but I watched.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Mizuki confused.

"It's a secret, but I'm going to let you in on it…" He looked at me as if he was telling me to go away and leave them. I nodded.

"I'll let you two be then…" I say as I leave balcony, I wave to Naruto goodbye and he waves back. Now I know what you're thinking… Am I going to go with Naruto? Of course I am! So instead of leaving, I do what I do best. Eavesdropping skillfully. I pretend to talk to some random guy while I listen on their conversation.

You know they talked about the Sacred Scroll of Sealing, the usual stuff.

"And you cannot take anyone with you. Even that girl that you're friends with. She might just try to tell somebody…" Mizuki finished.

Oh that is it. That guy is going to go down tonight! Mark my words… Mark them!

~Is this for real?~

I search around the biggest forest in the world to find Naruto, and I did find him. And he found the Scroll of Sealing. I couldn't help but spy on him. I walk up behind him super quietly so then I could read what was on the scroll. It's a good thing that I can read Japanese. For once studying helps.

"Let's see… The first one is… Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu?" He mumbles to himself.

I searched through the scroll and found one that I might like. It's called the Ice Fist Jutsu… Cool! This is just my style. I guess that they just randomly added that so then the scroll could have an interesting look to it.

He freaked out… Again. "Not this again, it's my worst Jutsu!" He yells.

"Quiet Naruto. We're going to get caught out here if we're not careful." I whispered to him.

"How'd you find me, Melody?" Naruto asked.

I smiled. "A little birdy told me." He didn't look convinced. "Okay, I may have eavesdropped on you guys while you were talking." I admit.

"But why?" Naruto asked.

"I just don't trust that Mizuki guy okay? Something's off about him." I explain. "Now come on, Naruto. Show me the Shadow Clone Jutsu." I say excitedly. Mizuki and Iruka will be coming after us any second so he needs to practice otherwise we are so doomed.

~Is this for real?~

Naruto has tried to do the Shadow Clone Jutsu for a while now and he looks exhausted. He was panting like he was trying to run a marathon. It must take up a lot of Chakra. While he was doing that, I was studying the Ice Fist Jutsu. It's sort of a mixture of TaiJutsu and NinJutsu. Interesting… At that moment Iruka comes up behind us and he definitely scared the living daylights out of me.

"It's all over." Iruka said grinning and laughing. Naruto looked up at him. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing. Wait, why are we laughing? That Mizuki guy could be here any second now. Naruto stood up. Iruka looked confused.

"You got us already, not bad." He said as he was still laughing. "You're quick sensei; I only had time to learn one technique." Naruto explained. Iruka was thinking about something and then Naruto got all excited. "Listen Iruka Sensei, I'm going to show you this amazing Jutsu and you're going to let me graduate, and then everything will be okay! That's the way it works right? Anyone who learns a Jutsu from this scroll passes!" Naruto finished. Iruka looked shocked. Oh boy here we go!

"Huh? Where'd you get that idea from?" Iruka asked. I face-palmed. It was Pinkie Pie… Who do you really think it was!? I felt like saying that but they wouldn't know about that.

"Mizuki Sensei told me about it! Believe it! He told me how to find this place and…" He trailed off. Damn it why is Mizuki so convincing?

Shuriken and kunai started raining down on us. He we go.

"Look out!" Iruka screamed as he pushed the both of us away and he took the blow from most of the ninja weapons.

"I see that you have found our little hideaway." Mizuki said from up in the tree.

"So that's the way it is, huh?" Iruka said as blood was dripping from where the kunai hit him. That blood. I'm okay when it's just on the television, but this blood looks real enough and I think I'm going to faint. "I should've known…" Iruka finished.

"Naruto, give me the scroll now!" Mizuki called out.

I stood up and walked towards him. "No we won't, but hey, instead I'll hand over this." I poked my tongue out at him and he looked quite insulted.

"W-Wait a minute… What's going on here?" Naruto asked shakily.

Iruka pulled out a kunai that was jabbed into his leg and dropped it onto the ground. "Naruto, Melody, don't let Mizuki get his hands on that scroll. It contains forbidden Jutsu that could put the entire village in grave danger; Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself, for his own power!" Iruka explained. Once again Iruka, no duh!

"W-What?" Naruto looked at Mizuki angrily.

"Naruto, Iruka is just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you to have the scroll." Mizuki said. Man! This guy is good!

"Huh?" Naruto is very confused now. Oh gosh. This is such a long dream. Naruto looked over at Iruka.

"Stop lying Mizuki!" Iruka yelled. He looked over and me and Naruto. "Don't let him trick you, both of you."

Mizuki laughed. "Oh I'll tell you who's really lying." He said. Well it might be for the best if I let this happen, but just in case, I'm preparing my hand signs for the Ice Fist Jutsu.

"No Mizuki! Don't!" Iruka yelled.

"They've been lying to you your whole life, Naruto, since the decree twelve years ago." Mizuki explained.

"What decree?" Naruto asked.

"Everyone knows except for you, Iruka's trying to hide it from you, even now, he'd do anything to shut me up." Mizuki grinned. Oh I'll shut him up alright!

"What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?" Naruto asked.

"Don't tell him Mizuki, it's forbidden!" Iruka yelled.

"The decree is that no one can tell you that the Nine Tailed Fox is inside you, Naruto!" Mizuki called.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body, you are the Nine Tailed fox!" Mizuki yelled.

"Stop it!" Iruka and I yelled.

"They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life. Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you like dirt? They hated you for just being alive!"

"No! No! No! No! No!" Naruto yelled out as Chakra began to flow around him.

"Naruto…" Iruka said.

"Naruto…!" I called out.

"That's right, you'll never be accepted in this village, even you beloved sensei and friend over there hates your guts!" Mizuki yelled. Okay, now I have changed my mind, this guy can't convince anyone with that tone of voice.

And this is what confuses me, he explains this story to him that could've convinced him to give up the scroll, and he does this…

"Die, Naruto!" He yells and throws this gigantic shuriken at him. Naruto falls backwards and tries crawl away but it's a bit too slow. Now!

"Ice style! Ice Fist Jutsu!" I call out. Man that is cool. You see according to my research in ten seconds, I found out while this Jutsu is in effect, I can freeze anything if it touches my fist, but the down side is how much Chakra it uses up, but it's worth it.

I get in front of Naruto and froze the huge shuriken, but it also hit my fists pretty badly, blood was starting to dribble out in between for fingers. I looked at Naruto as the shuriken hit the ground.

"Are you okay Naruto?" I asked. "It didn't get you, did it?" I smiled at him to reassure him that I was alright. I mean I feel absolutely drained and my hands were bleeding like crazy, but other than that, I was just peachy. Naruto stared at me, he was really shocked. I'm beginning to think that this in fact isn't a dream. But my wish came true. I got to meet someone who I could call my friend, so that's pretty cool.

It wasn't just Naruto who looked shocked, it was Iruka and Mizuki too.

"Why did you… Save me, Melody?" Naruto asked, his eyes never once left my face. I continued smiling at him.

"Because you are my friend, Naruto." I explained. "You're my best friend. In fact you're the only kid my age who would actually talk to me. People thought that I was a freak, some sort of weird person, a clown, but not you Naruto. You actually talked to me and you let me stay with you. To be honest, I thought that this was a dream, but apparently it isn't. Thanks Naruto. Now you better run. Run as fast as you can. Take the scroll and don't look back." I explained.

Naruto still didn't seem to get what I was telling him.

Mizuki laughed. "How touching. Don't you see, she hates you as much as everybody else does? She-"

"Be quiet!" I yell. "Naruto RUN! GO NOW!" I yell. He nods and speeds off with the scroll. Where was Iruka, you ask? Well he was hit with a lot more kunai then he was in the show, so he was having trouble taking the kunai out.

Eventually, I lost my balance and I fell flat on the ground, but I didn't lose consciousness.

Mizuki growled. "I'll deal with you two later." He grumbled and jumped off.

Be careful Naruto…

**Naruto's POV:**

I did exactly what Melody told me to do. I ran. I ran as fast as I could, away from Mizuki. I was running through the trees when I saw… Iruka?

"Naruto!" He called out to me, but how? "Everything Mizuki said was a lie! Give me the scroll, hurry, he's coming after you to take it!" He called out to me, but I saw right through his plan. I leaped right at him and the scroll managed to crash right into his neck. He screamed in pain, but I didn't care. He landed hard on the ground while I was able to slide across the ground. I started panting again.

"It can't be…" 'Iruka' said. He tried to get up. He was struggling. "How did you know, Naruto?" He asked me. "How did you know…" A cloud of smoke appeared around him and he turned back into himself. "That it was me and not Iruka?"

I was hiding behind a tree and I had the scroll with me. I ran like Melody told me to and I heard some people talking. So I start

"It can't be…" 'Iruka' said. He tried to get up. He was struggling. "How did you know, Naruto?" He asked me. "How did you know…" A cloud of smoke appeared around him and he turned back into himself. "That it was me and not Iruka?"

"Because… I'm Iruka." Iruka Sensei replied. And I continued to listen to their conversation.

"You're a fool." Mizuki said. "Why are you protecting that freak? He's the one who wiped out your family."

"I don't care what you say. You're not getting your hands on that scroll." Iruka replied.

"As if you can stop me. Don't you get it? Naruto is just like me."

"How's that?"

"He wants the scroll for his own power and his own vengeance. That's how beasts are. He'll pour all of his rage into the scroll and destroy everything."

"You're right."

I gasped. Did Iruka just say what I think he just said? I buried my face into the scroll.

"So it's true then… Iruka Sensei never believed in me. He thinks that I'm some… Beast… Some kind of freak…" I mumbled to myself.

"That is how beasts are. But that's not who Naruto is. He's nothing like that, Naruto's one of a kind, works hard, puts his whole heart into it. Sure he messes up sometimes and everyone jumps on him. But his suffering only makes him stronger. That is what separates him from being a beast, so you're wrong. He's nothing like the Nine Tailed Fox. He's Naruto Uzumaki of the village hidden in the leaves." Iruka explained. It was at this moment that I started crying. I didn't think that Iruka thought about me like that.

"You really believe that drivel?" I heard a shuriken being pulled out by Mizuki. "Iruka, I was going to save you for later, but I've changed my mind. You're finished!" He was just about to kill Iruka, but I ended up kneeing him in the gut, making him fall backwards and his shuriken flew off somewhere else. Mizuki landed hard on the ground and I was sliding across the grass smoothly. I stood up and I planted my hand on the scroll.

"Not bad… For a little punk." Mizuki said as he stood up.

"If you ever lay a hand on my friends or on my sensei… I'll kill you!" I say to him angrily.

"Such big words. I can completely destroy you with a single move!"

I get my hand sign ready for the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu ready. "Take your best shot, fool. I'll give them back to you a thousand fold!"

"Let's see you try! Show me what you can do Nine Tailed Fox!"

**Melody's POV:**

"Let's see you try! Show me what you can do Nine Tailed Fox!" I heard Mizuki's voice. This is it. When Naruto fights off Mizuki with his Shadow Clone Jutsu. I limp towards the fight and hide behind the trees so then I don't get in the way.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu**!" Naruto calls out and a whole lot of Naruto's appeared. And when I say a whole lot, I _really_ mean a whole lot!

All of the Naruto's began to confuse Mizuki by saying stuff like 'over here' and 'I'm right here' and 'come at me'. Mizuki looked a little frightened by all of the Naruto's that appeared.

"W-What is this?" Mizuki stuttered.

"If you're not coming-" One of the Naruto's started.

"Then we're coming after you!" Another said.

Mizuki screamed as he got his butt handed to him by all of the Naruto.

~One butt kicking later~

Mizuki had blood vomiting out of his mouth and looked a little traumatized. Eh, he'll be dead soon. The blood looked very gross so I tried my best to ignore it.

I watched as Naruto rubbed the back of his head and started to laugh. "Sorry, I kind of got carried away… Are you okay Iruka Sensei?" Naruto asked as he faced his teacher.

"Yeah…" Iruka replied smiling. "Naruto, come over here for a minute. I've got something that I would like to give to you."

Naruto walked over to Iruka and looked at him confused.

"Close your eyes, Naruto" Iruka told Naruto.

Naruto did as he was instructed and closed his eyes. About twenty seconds later Naruto began to grow impatient.

"Sensei… How much longer?" He asked.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Naruto opened his eyes and saw his sensei smiling at him, and he wasn't wearing his headband.

The light just so happened to shine brightly upon this happy scene as Iruka spoke up.

"Congratulations… You graduate." He said.

Naruto looked at Iruka shocked as if he had just won the lottery or something.

"And to celebrate I have a surprise… We're going out for ramen tonight." He said happily.

Naruto's mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"Iruka Sensei!" Naruto leaped onto Iruka.

"umm… Not that this moment isn't touching or anything, but my hands are sort or bleeding, like a lot here and honestly, if I have to look at it anymore, than I think that I might just lose consciousness at any minute." I say interrupting the two. They looked at me and we all randomly started to crack up laughing. Wait… Why are we laughing? I continued to laugh and then a big pain stung my hands. "Oh, Ow, Ow, it hurts to laugh." I said gripping my bloody hand with the other.

_Well it looks like this isn't a dream. This is real. And it looks like I am going to be staying here for a long time… I can't predict everything that is going to happen… But… I can predict something… I am going to make many friends and many enemies. Perhaps there are some things that I can change… But that also means that I can't change others… Hopefully… I can change Sasuke… The way he turns out… The way he changes… But for now… I can't change much more…_

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Naruto and Melody Voiceover:**_

_(N) Why are you following us, kid?_

_(M) He wants to become the Fifth Hokage, Naruto._

_(N) Oh, I knew that. Listen kid, I don't care if you are the Hokage's grandson, you can't just snap your fingers and become a top ninja._

_(M) Look who's talking, Naruto. Be careful kid, it looks like Naruto is trying to get that title too…_

_(N) Next time…_

_(N/M) My name is Konohamaru!_

**Yakamashi (1) **

**Yuck-arm-marsh-e**

**First episode complete…**


	2. My Name is Konohamaru!

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**The following is a Fan-Fiction. I do NOT own Naruto or anything to do with it. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. If I did own Naruto I would put more Kiba scenes in it. I only own all of my OC's that I have made up. Please don't sue me…**_

_**Is This Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

It was the next day and luckily my hands have been bandaged up. Thank goodness. The blood was crazy. But it also turns out that my left hand has few cracked bones, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as I don't do anything too reckless with it. Also I am still exhausted from using up all of that Chakra when I used the Ice Fist Jutsu. Oh? What's going on right now? Well Naruto and I are both getting our pictures taken to identify ourselves. I of course went as me, but Naruto went all fancy and had his face painted. I didn't know what he was trying to be… Perhaps a guy out of the ANBU Black Ops?

So I had my picture taken. It looked professional. I looked like ninja who had been feared all around the world… With a pink bow.

Naruto's photo? Well, I thought that it is original. But it's going to go and bite him in the butt once he goes off to see the Hokage… But I thought 'Nah… Let him have his fun! He'll be fine!'

"Listen kid," The photographer started. "Are you sure you want me to take your picture like that?" Yeah I know right?

"Just do it! Come on already! Come on! Come on!" Naruto called out impatiently while waving his arms around in the air like he was trying to sprout winds and fly. FLY HIGH!

"Don't blame me later…" The photographer mumbled as he put his hand under the sheet. This is the only time when I actually see a camera like that. "Say cheese!" He called out. When he said that to me I said 'Cups of tea!' Don't ask me why. The photographer clicked the button and took the picture. Naruto looked like he was trying to do a ki blast right at the camera. This is going t be a long day…

_**Episode Two:**_

_**My Name Is Konahamaru**_

Naruto and I were both in the Hokage's office. He was looking at our pictures carefully. His eyes were studying the page. I stayed silent and… Well, Naruto was blabbering on and on and on about his picture and how everything went down. He was grinning and laughing too.

"At first you know I couldn't actually figure out how to do it. It took me like three hours to work it all out and stuff." Yeah, and I had to watch. Maybe I should've just told him to have a simple picture, but of course Naruto would whine and say that it wouldn't be exciting. So he continued. "But finally I got it. Like an art project on my face only cooler!" He chuckled.

Then his hopes and dreams shattered.

"Take it again…" The Third Hokage stated his point quite clearly.

"What?" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Sometimes I think that he could wake up the dead with that screaming.

"You're obviously not getting the picture here Naruto…" I say to him. Ha! Do you get the joke there? "He wants you to take another picture so then people can actually identify you. If you wanted my opinion then I would've suggested it." I explained.

"Well I don't want to do it again!" Naruto whined. I couldn't face palm because my hands were still sore from when we faced Mizuki. It's like what I told Naruto went through one ear and straight through the other. Naruto and the Third Hokage began to glare and growl at each other. I immediately looked over to the Hokage. I knew what was going to happen and I honestly didn't want to see it.

"**Transform**!" Naruto shouted out. I could just barely see the puff of smoke pass in front of my eyes. I knew that it was the Sexy Jutsu again.

"Pretty please Lord Hokage?" Naruto's female form, Naruko said sweetly. The Hokage looked pretty shocked. He fell backwards on his chair as blood spurted out of his nose. I looked back at Naruto and he looked just as shocked as the Hokage was.

"This is just… Embarrassing." I say as I close my eyes with my head drowned down. That is until I heard a footstep come towards the door. My head sprouted up and I immediately knew who it was. Konohamaru.

The Hokage wiped his bloody nose with a handkerchief. "That was the Sexy Jutsu you say? Very tricky… Much too tricky, don't do it again." The Hokage stated professionally while Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "By the way Naruto," He said, changing the subject. "Where is your headband? You're supposed to be wearing it."

Naruto fiddled with his goggles for a bit. "Oh I'm not putting it on until the orientation. I don't want to mess it up." He has a good point, but I decided to wear it. It looks pretty good on me.

"So, you want your headband nice, but your photo which is supposed to identify yourself as a ninja makes you look like a clown? It's for ninja training and missions which is the key to your future." The Hokage picked up the piece of paper. "Look at this photo, you can't even tell who it is."

"Well, fine!" Naruto shouted. "How am I supposed to know all of this complicated stuff anyway?" Naruto asked. We were interrupted however when we heard two pieces of metal (and by that I mean two shuriken) rub together. The door slammed open and in came the Honorable Grandson of the Third Hokage.

"Old man," He yelled as he ran towards the Third Hokage. "I challenge you!" Naruto looked at the kid like he was a freaky weird person. He yelled out stuff like 'I'm going to be the Fifth Hokage!' So you're actually Tsunade? I knew it! He ran at Hokage and the running gag is going to start here.

He tripped over nothing… That's the running gag. A little boy tripping over nothing and landing flat on his face.

Naruto and I groaned at his fail while he was holding his face in pain.

Ebisu came in the room and saw the 'Honorable Grandson' on the floor. He sat up.

"Something tripped me!" He complained. Yeah it's best if I stay out of this one.

"Are you okay, Honorable Grandson?" Ebisu asked. "And by the way, there's nothing for you to trip on, it's pretty flat." He added. Little kid owned count: Two.

Konohamaru and Ebisu looked at Naruto. Ebisu looked a little shocked. Well I don't care. He is just a filler character and everyone knows that filler characters can be such a drag… Ha! I did it again! That's the third time!

Konohamaru stomped over to Naruto."Alright you're the one who tripped me aren't you?" He screamed.

"Actually he was sitting there the whole time… How could he trip you?" I asked questionably. I could practically see the veins popping out of Naruto's head as he grabbed the boy by the collar.

"Yeah, you tripped over your own feet dork!" He yelled.

"Hey you, take your hands off of him! He is the Honorable Grandson of the Honorable Third Hokage!" Ebisu yelled. This time I really did have enough energy to face palm. Naruto looked at Emisu and then back to the little kid.

"What's the matter, huh? I thought that you were going to hit me tough guy? Are you afraid because the Third Hokage is my Grandfather?" The little boy yelled.

Naruto's eyes turned into the classic black and white angry anime eyes. "I don't care if he's your grand**mother**!" Naruto screamed as he punched Konohamaru across the head. "So, believe it!"

Let's keep track on how many times the little boy gets p'wned. Little kid's Failures: Three. Believe it!

I burst out laughing. I am so going to get sued soon. Konohamaru fell on the ground face first. Four. Ebisu was being weird and his fingers moved around in an uncool way.

Thank great, sweet heavens that we managed to get away. For now. I honestly thought that this episode was my least favourite and now I have to deal with it all. This is going to be a long day.

Naruto and I were walking around the empty streets. That's not right. I looked at Naruto.

"So, do you think that little kid will be following us around?" I asked. Naruto laughed.

"No way! Not after the beating that I gave him he won't!" I sighed as my eyes jotted behind me. Silly little kid! You don't follow anybody like this! Silly little kid!

Naruto and I stopped for a moment. We looked at what was behind us. It was Little kid and he was under a sheet. Great camouflage… I can't wait until I put my life in the hands of someone this good. Could you sense the sarcasm there?

Naruto poked his head in thought as he looked at the sheet. Behold ladies, gentlemen and those with unknown gender! Naruto is thinking! This is a sight that you may never see again!

We ignored Little kid and continued our peaceful walk around the abandoned streets. I hummed a little tune. This was getting weird… Naruto growled and swiftly turned around and pointed at the fence.

"I know that you're following me, so just give it up!" He yelled out. Seriously. An elephant would have had a better chance of hiding than Little Kid. Remind me, how is this kid related to the Hokage? "That's so obvious that it's pathetic." Naruto added. I nodded in agreement with my arms folded. Little Kid laughed strangely and he took down the fence camouflage.

"So you saw through my disguise, huh? The rumors about you are true, you are good." He complimented. No it's not that he's good, it's just because you suck so badly, Little Kid! Little Kid walked over to Naruto and I and he pointed at Naruto. "Alright, I'll be your apprentice and you'll be my trainer!" Naruto sweat-dropped. Uh, hello? Super, awesome girl who saved this guy from his possible death, right here! Kids these days… "And afterwards, you've got to show me how to do that Sexy Jutsu thing that you used on Grandpa Hokage!" He shouted.

Naruto folded his arms. "This is some kind of joke, isn't it?" He asked.

"No! I need a new trainer! Please say yes, boss!" Naruto looked at Little Kid.

"Huh? Boss?" He asked.

"Yeah, you're the boss! Boss, boss, boss!" Wait is this turning into Hamtaro?

"Well, how could I refuse?" Naruto asked while he rubbed the back of his head. By saying 'no, get someone who gives a monkey's butt and ask them!' Gosh Naruto, you're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble by doing this. Well I guess I will follow the two. I've got nothing better to do.

"Listen if you want to become a master ninja, then believe it. You've got to learn how to control your Chatora." Naruto said. I eventually stopped moving and I fell on my back and started to let out a burst of laughter. I even had tears forming in my eyes.

"What… Do we… Have to… Control…?" I asked between laughs.

"I said, your Chatora!" He repeated. This caused me to be an idiot and I started to laugh even harder and I felt my stomach hurting and my face went red. I stood up and wiped the tears away.

"Naruto… I think you mean Chakra." I corrected him.

"Well real ninjas say Chatora!" I fell down again as soon as I got over it and started to laugh again.

"Oh, please… Stop… Y-You're killing… Me!" I said between laughs. I think I will need to see a mental therapist once this is all over.

Naruto quickly changed the subject. "Listen, I'll explain what Chakra is-"

"Chakra is the elemental life energy that is used to perform Jutsu." Little Kid started.

"Heh?" Naruto sounded like he was trying to do a Perrie impression.

"The ninja arts combine physical energy from each cell in the body, with mystical energy which is intensified by training and experience. When these two Chakra mix, special hand signs allow the ninja to focus this combined energy for advanced Jutsu." Little Kid read out.

"Know it all! You were just reading that whole thing!" Naruto yelled.

"Well, at least now we know how to control our Chatora!" I added. I snickered as my cheeks puffed up. I couldn't hold it anymore and I, well, you know the drill.

"Be quiet Melody!" Naruto yelled. I ignored him. This is the funniest thing about this episode. L.O.L.

~At the place… Later~

After I finished my appointment with the therapist, Naruto started to blab on. Man, why do I hang around this guy? Sasuke's right. He can be a loser.

"Yo!" Is he turning into a pimp? "You can blab on all you want about how to do ninja techniques, but it really comes down to one thing."

"What is it?" Little Kid asked.

"Just plain hard work and guts."

"That's two things, but okay, I'm with you!" You my friend, have just stated the freaking obvious. Here is a medal.

"Alright, I'm going to throw some pretty big challenges at you now. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready, boss!" It's so high-pitched!

"Good. Then let's do it. Show me your transformation."

"Huh?" Duh, it's so freaking obvious. Are you deaf Little Kid? That is it! I'm elevating your owned count! Little Kid's Failures: Five. Gosh by the time this episode is over that owned count is going to explode from too many failures.

"Believe it! Show me what you can do and I'll take you to the next level." Believe it!

"Um, sure but what do I transform into?" Naruto looked around a bit and saw a nice enough lady. Not in that way! Ew! If you thought I was that kind of person, then the shame will be with you forever!

Naruto's finger points to her. How many times has he done that? "There. You see that woman, you can transform into her." He explained.

"No problem, here I go boss!" Pft says you. "**Transform**!" A puff of smoke appeared around himself and he transformed into her. Well, sort of. "Well, do I look like her?" He asked. 'She' was a bit over-sized then what she actually was and the lips didn't look like hers either.

Little Kid's Failures: Six.

"Uh… The clothes… Kind of look like her…" I guess he knew that the lady was behind him because he looked a little blue at the lady who had raised her fist at him.

"Are you kidding? That looks like me?" She looked mad. Oh boy. I slipped on some sunglasses and a cap and looked away as if I didn't know who in the hell he was.

~Later~

"Now, now, Honorable Grandson, next time you transform into me, make me a little cuter, okay? Ta!" She said as she walked off.

"She's scary…" Little Kid mumbled. I walked up to him.

"If you think that she's bad, you should meet Sakura." I whispered so then only he could hear it.

Meanwhile Naruto was badly beaten up and was lying down on the ground. "You did it. Why am I the one who gets whacked around?" He asked in pain.

~Even more later~

"Okay, now it's time to do some research on female beauty." Naruto said.

"Female beauty right boss!" Little Kid yelled. They took a couple of steps towards the book shop, but stopped.

"Hey aren't you coming, Melody?" Naruto asked. I looked at them.

"What? To watch you two drooling over pornography, no thanks. But don't blame me if you get your butt whooped." I answered. Naruto shrugged as they both snuck in the book store. I took out my kunai and looked at it for a short while.

"In three… Two… One…" Naruto and Little Kid came out I smirked, Naruto was beaten at his own game. "See, what did I tell you?" I say smartly, not taking my eyes off of the kunai in my hand.

Naruto just replied with a short groan.

~Even more later, later~

"Slight set back…" Naruto said with a black eye. "So this is our last stop, so give it everything you've got okay?"

"Everything! Right bo-"

"Just shut up and get your butt handed to you again! I can't stand this!" I yelled. The two boys looked a little scared. They quickly snapped out of it though.

Little Kid's Failures: Seven.

"**Transform**!" They both transformed. Naruto transformed into his female form – Naruko. Thank god she has clothes on. And Little Kid… Eight. They nodded at each other and walked into the women's bath house.

A few seconds passed. Then I heard shrieking and screamed and yelling. Oh and guess what? Naruto got beat up again. I would do a count for him but later he will get awesome.

~Later- Need I say it again?~

We are now in a forest and Naruto looked like he had been trampled by an elephant. "Why do they only whack me?" He asked.

"Well let's see, first of all, I'm not involved. Second, no one would whack Little Kid." I explained. The two looked at me strangely. "What?" I asked. "It's because he is the grandson of the Third Hokage." I rephrased my sentence.

"Well, that's okay. I've prepared him, so now he's ready to learn the Sexy Jutsu." Naruto replied. "Believe it, you just need to practice."

I sweat-dropped. "Oh that is just perfect. Another Naruto!" I say sarcastically. I guess they didn't get it because Naruto was smiling childishly. So instead, I pouted.

"Whatever. If you need me, I'm going to be behind that tree barfing at the way you two disgrace women." I said as I walked off. And I did just that. I was throwing my guts up. Ramen was a bad choice. But it's better than expired milk.

So I heard all of the fails that Little Kid did, so here are the results so far…

Little Kid's Failures: Eleven.

Man, all of these fails are making me thirsty so I went to get some drinks for all of us. Ooh. Prank time. That way I can get my mental owned count up. I got three drinks and I shook two of them up. They won't suspect a thing.

~You know the drill~

I laughed at the two boys who wiped their faces off with a cloth. Twelve! This is excellent.

"That is for disgracing women everywhere!" I laughed. The two boys both had annoyed looks on their faces. "No, but seriously guys, here are your drinks for real this time." I say as I pass the boys their soft drinks. We all sat down on a log and Naruto brought up a conversation.

"So what's with this obsession you've got with your grandfather?" He asked. Konohamaru looked at him and soon looked down at the ground again.

"My grandfather named me Konohamaru, after the ancient name of the village. So it should be easy to remember… But no one called me that, not one person in the entire village. That's because when they look at me, they don't really see me… All they see is the 'Honorable Grandson' of the Lord Hokage. No one knows who I am. I can't stand it anymore, it's like I've become invisible, like I don't exist, I hate that. That's the reason I've got to become the Hokage now, so people know who I am." Little-I mean, Konohamaru, said.

Naruto looked down at his soda. "Get real; do you think that people are going to accept a squirt like you?" I looked over at the blonde.

"Huh?"

"A kid can't just turn into a Hokage after a day or two." Konohamaru sprung up.

"What?" He yelled.

"It's not that simple. You keep on saying 'Hokage. Hokage.' To really become a Hokage, you know what you have to do?"

"What? What is it?"

Naruto smirked. "You'll have to beat me in battle." He said this epically.

"What he says is true. He is one of the strongest people I know." I say.

"You don't even know most of the people in this village." Naruto commented. I frowned.

"Hey, I'm trying to bring some more awesomeness to your big scene here, don't ruin it for yourself." I say as I began to pout.

"I've found you!" Ebisu called out. Damn it!

"Whoops, too late. It looks like this nincompoop has already beaten you to it." I said as I folded my arms.

Ebisu looked at Naruto in disgust and we all had an old fashioned staring contest with him, not that you could really tell if he was blinking or not, but you get my point.

Ebisu jumped down off of the tree. "So, Honorable Grandson, time to go home." He said.

"No way!" Konohamaru yelled out. "I'm learning how to beat my grandfather, so then I can get the title of Hokage! Now don't get in my way!" He screamed as Ebisu began to walk over to us.

"A Hokage is more than just a fighter, he must learn about virtue, honor, etiquette and wisdom, he must be skilled at a thousand Jutsu, but you don't even know one Jutsu…" He explained his yaddy yaddy ya.

Konohamaru made a hand sign as I covered my eyes with my sweet hands. Here we go again…

"**Transform**!" He yelled out loud. I knew that he had perfected this technique.

"Hi there. Like my Jutsu?" A feminine voice said, and soon after that I heard a scream coming from Ebisu. I heard Konohamaru change back. "Hey, how come you're not defeated?" He asked. Thirteen.

"What kind of scandalous technique is that?" Ebisu yelled in anger. "Such tasteless vulgarity can never influence me, I am far above it!" In case you are wondering, I am now hiding behind a tree, I know what is going to happen next and it's not pretty. I still had my eyes covered up. Once again, I thank you sweet, merciful hands for being attached to me. "Honorable Grandson, stop this right now!" I could tell that Ebisu was pulling on Konohamaru's scarf. "Naruto's turning you into a delinquent! Only my special training will bring you on the fast track to becoming Hokage!"

"Just leave me alone!" Konohamaru yelled. It was at this point I decided to at least look at what is going on for now.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu**!" Naruto yelled as many of himself appeared all over the place.

"Woah! This is unreal!" Konohamaru yelled out, obviously impressed. I could practically hear the celebration music going on in the background.

Ebisu fiddled with his sunglasses a bit. "Ha! I'm not impressed!" He called out. "I'm a Jonin, an elite ninja warrior. I am not as weak as Mizuki." He said as he walked towards the group of Shadow Clones. "Just watch how a real ninja beats an upstart."

"Come on, boss…" Konohamaru murmured. Everyone got ready to fight.

"**Transform**!" Naruto and his Shadow Clones all said together. The Harem Jutsu… Naruto turned into many Naruko's and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't miss Ebisu flying off so I pretended that they all had clothes on as they all gathered around Ebisu. He freaked out and somehow got thrown aback with blood pouring out of his nose. He landed on his side as he twitched a little bit.

All of the Shadow Clones disappeared and the real Naruto turned back into himself.

"Gotcha! With my Harem Jutsu!" He said as he grinned.

~Later…~

"Oh man! I couldn't even defeat that snobby teacher of mine! I want to be Hokage so badly, but I keep on messing up. Why can't I do it?" Konohamaru complained.

"Do you really think that it is that easy?" Naruto asked.

"Huh?"

"To become a Hokage, you need to become the greatest ninja in the whole village. You have to prove yourself so then everyone believes in you. Look at me, I've been through a lot already, I've been ignored, pushed away and treated like I have the plague or something. And after all of that I found two people who believed in me. To find those people, I had to get pushed around a lot. So you better make sure that you're ready."

"For what?"

"For lots of sweat and tears, while you're learning how to become a ninja."

There was a moment of silence and only one word could describe this. Awkward.

"By the way, there is no easy way to becoming Hokage." Naruto smiled. "Believe it."

Konohamaru turned away. "Ha! Who do you think you are anyway, giving me a big lecture like that? That's it; I'm not going to be your apprentice anymore. From now on, we're rivals." Konohamaru turned around with a smile on his face. Hello! Am I invisible?

"Well I can't be your trainer anyway, because tomorrow, I start my advance ninja studies. But I accept your challenge and someday, we will fight for the title of Lord Hokage."

"This is nice and everything, but let me just rephrase something for the forgettable Naruto over here. He meant that tomorrow _we _start _our_ advanced ninja studies. Believe it!" I say, helping out Naruto. "But anyway, I wish you two the best of luck when that day comes."

Naruto nods. "Believe it! Konohamaru…" With that we went off walking as we waved goodbye. Then an idea popped into my head.

"You know, he has gotten better… At least now he knows how to control his Chatora!" I say laughing.

"Knock it off, Melody!" Naruto yells at me.

"Come on, Naruto. Let's go home and work on our Chatora skills!" I said as I ran off.

"Hey get back here!" Naruto yelled at me while chasing me. I chuckled as he did this…

_Well I guess that the real ninja training begins tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes… I'll be ready to take on any challenge that awaits me… No matter what the cost is… Believe it…_

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Naruto and Melody Voice-Over:**_

_(N) Ugh! Not Sasuke! Why do I have to be in his group? Sakura keeps on calling out his name. 'Sasuke, Sasuke.' I know, I'll play a trick on him…_

_(M) Naruto…_

_(N) Let's see how cool Sakura thinks you are after that!_

_(M) Ugh! Why do I bother with you?_

_(N/M) Next time: Sasuke and Sakura, friends or foes?_

_**So does anyone actually read this story? Please review to this! Other stories have reviews. This is my fourth story so please support it. I feel like this is going to be more important when I actually have reviewers. So tell your friends maybe? Please review to the chapters I post down on here so then I work even harder. It will take me one-two weeks to write a chapter. I know that this one was short but I couldn't think of anything for it.**_

_**To be honest, this wasn't my favourite piece of work that I have done. I didn't have that much fun with it, other than the Chatora and the ownage that Little Kid got. **_

_**But on a good note, if I feel like it, I might add a few episodes together sometimes.**_

_**And once again, please review.**_

_**I will make better chapters if you do… Believe it!**_


	3. Sasuke and Sakura Friends or foes?

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**The following is a Fan-Fiction. I do NOT own Naruto or anything to do with it. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. If I did own Naruto I would obviously add another female to team seven in it. I only own all of my OC's that I have made up. Please don't sue me… I love this too much.**_

_**Is This Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

I snuck into Naruto's room as quietly as I could and shook him a little. He wasn't responding. I shook him more. "Naruto wake up." He still wasn't getting up. I held my nose so then my voice would change a little. "Hey everybody, Sakura is giving out free kisses!" I say. Naruto quickly sprung up.

"Where is she?" He panicked. He turned around and saw me.

"Sakura is not giving out free kisses, but you will get a free butt-whooping from me if you don't get ready for our orientation!" I say to him pointing at the calendar. Naruto looked at his clock.

"Did you have to get me up this early?" He asks me.

"Okay, go back to sleep then Naruto, I guess I'll just eat all of that ramen that I cooked out in the kitchen all by myself." I taunted and Naruto ran as quickly as he could to the kitchen.

I held my hand, waiting for someone to give me a high-five. Five minutes later, I noticed that nobody was actually there, so I high-fived myself. Yep. Since Naruto is my only friend, when I play tricks on him, I don't really get to share the victory with anyone… Yet!

~In the Kitchen! If you dare to go in there~

"Today is the day, so…" Naruto started as we were prepared to eat our ramen.

"Let's chow down!" We chorused as we began eating. You know, I think that I am forgetting something important… Eh, if it was that important, then I wouldn't have forgotten it.

_**Episode Three:**_

_**Sasuke and Sakura, Friends or foes?**_

Naruto grabbed the milk carton and began to gulp a whole heap of it down. My eyes widened. Poop in a bucket! Literally…! Eh, it won't affect him too badly, besides, I don't think that Sakura wants a kiss from him anytime soon.

~Even more later… Do I have to do this?~

I was waiting for Naruto, as I was already dressed and ready to go. I wore a short-sleeved red top with a white jacket over the top. I had a pair of black shorts on with my ninja equipment pocket on the right side of my shorts. And of course I wore the ninja thons that we have to wear. Something tells me that boots aren't going to help me climb a tree or something.

This is the episode where we finally get to hang out with Sasuke and Sakura. You may be wondering. Do I love Sasuke? Am I the ultimate fan of his? Sasuke is pretty cool, but somehow I don't think that would work out. I mean, he wouldn't want another Sasuke fan on his hands. And besides, even if we did somehow get into a relationship with him, then it might affect everyone. The girls would be spazzing out and the guys would have to listen to the spazzy girls.

Naruto came out of the room with his ninja headband on. Hey, at least he isn't wearing it on his arm or something. And so we left to go to the orientation.

~In the village~

I was feeling very giddy. I could practically hear the village music. I couldn't help but hum the tune softly. This is going to be awesome. I really wanted to squeal at the top of my lungs, but then I would just look silly.

I looked at the 'camouflage next to the fence. Oh boy. It's Little Kid again. I can't wait… I can't wait to get his Failures Count to grow that is!

He snapped the 'camouflage' off of himself and showed his face. "You're mine, Naruto!" He yelled. He was going to try to run at Naruto, but he tripped over the camouflage and landed flat on his face… Again. As for my favourite thing to do when he is around…

Little Kid's Failures: Fourteen! Hooray.

I stared down at him with my nose twitching slightly in embarrassment. I face-palmed.

"Uh… What do you think you're doing, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked. Naruto! His name is Little Kid! Gosh!

"That was a slick move… That's why I respect you as a rival…" Little Kid stated as he began to sit up. Um, I am still here! What the heck? Am I invisible or something?

"…But I didn't do anything…" Naruto said confused. Little Kid soon stood up and made a hand sign.

"Alright, now fight me, fair and square!" Little Kid sure is silly…

"Sorry I've got an orientation…" Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. I shot him an icy cold glare.

"Are you forgetting someone, Naruto?" I ask as I raise my fist at him. His eyes widened.

"I-I mean **we've** got an orientation…" Naruto corrected himself, his voice slightly shaking. I smiled.

Little Kid's eyes widened. "Orientation?" Nah, what did you think it was? A picnic with the cast of My Little Pony? Silly Little Kid…

"That's right, as of today we're ninja." Naruto said as he pointed at his headband while I copied him.

"Believe it!" I added with a large grin on my face. Little Kid gasped in surprise while Naruto and I just chuckled softly, the cheeky grins still on our faces.

We soon said our goodbyes and continued to make our way over to the ninja academy for ninjas.

We even pasted Ino's flower shop. I gasped and quickly grabbed onto Naruto's wrist and started to pull him along with force. He seemed rather surprised by this.

"Whoa! Hey, what are you doing, Melody?" He yelled with shock in his voice.

"I really want to get to the academy quickly, I'm so stoked!" I called out to him with a cheeky grin. Actually, that wasn't the reason. I just didn't want to get into the middle of Sakura and Ino's argument. And Naruto would probably be too busy staring at Sakura to move out of the way and he would get trampled on.

"Well could you slow down a little?" He yelled. I covered my ears.

"Naruto, you don't need to yell anymore, we are here. Naruto switched glances between the ninja academy and me. He was probably wondering how in the name of macaroni and cheese how we got here so fast. I just ignored it and I skipped off into the building happily with Naruto not too far behind me.

~In the ninja class for ninjas~

We sat down in our seats. I sat down in front of Naruto, because I wanted Naruto to sit down next to Sakura and make him incredibly happy, and I got to do this while torturing Sakura. Sakura could sit down next to Sasuke, so that would make her happy while he got tortured. And as long as Sasuke is on the same table as Naruto, he could make him annoyed. Anyway it's a win/lose situation for the three of them.

Anyway, onto what is happening right now…

Naruto had a large smile on his face and guess who? Shikamaru. He walked by. I took all of my strength not to sing a certain song to him. And besides, that would be…. Awkward… He stopped and looked at Naruto.

"Huh? What are you doing here, Naruto?" He asked questionably. "This isn't for dropouts; you can't be here unless you graduate."

Naruto sat up properly and turned to Shikamaru while pointing at his headband.

"Oh yeah, do you see this, do you see this? Open your eyes Shikamaru, it's a regulation headband." Naruto said very quickly. "We're going to be training together, how do you like that?"

Shikamaru huffed.

"Let me put it o you this way, I look great in this headgear, like it was made for me or something. Believe it!" Naruto said as he adjusted his headband.

I shot a sneaky glance over at a blushing Hinata. Seriously, you have to be a total idiot if you don't notice that Hinata likes the blonde-haired hero… No offence, Naruto. Man, to be honest, I don't know what she sees in him… Let me think… Wait! I've got it! It must be because of Naruto's undying determination. I totally nailed that sentence there… I think I just ruined it… Well… Poop… Another pun!

My head jotted over to the door. I heard something like a stampede. Like two bulls are trying to have a race to see who can get in the classroom first. And by bulls, I mean Sakura and Ino. Don't get the wrong idea… I don't mind those two, it's just that they are a bit… Um… I don't know what word I could use at the moment. Give me a while and I'll think of something…

The door was quickly pushed open and the blond and the pinkette were pushing and shoving each other so then they could prevent each other from getting in. After a little while they both made it into the room, I have to admit it was kind of hard to tell who came in first. They spread their arms out and didn't care if they squished the other persons' face. "I'm first!" They both chorused. Then they hunched over and lowered their arms, panting from all of the running. The two girls looked at each other.

"I won again, Sakura." Ino said.

"Give it up… I had to look back to see you, my toe was at least a tenth of an inch ahead." Sakura replied. That's right. I've got the word, annoying. Ha! I totally just took Sasuke's line.

"Have you always been this delusional?" Ino asked. Naruto looked over at the two arguing girls, sorry let me rephrase that statement. Naruto stared at Sakura with a slight blush on his face. I could practically hear the blushing sound effect. If you know what I mean… Sakura looked over in the direction of the table that Naruto was sitting at and gasped.

Naruto's blush grew as Sakura ran over.

"Hey where are you going?" Ino called out, but Sakura ignored her. Naruto stood up where he was sitting and had a hand held up meaning 'Hey, how's it going?'

"Hi Sakura, what's up?" He asked. Well I was pretty close.

"Move it!" Sakura growled as she pushed Naruto away, causing his back to slam into the opposite table. "Uh… Good morning, Sasuke…" She said with a sweet tone. I swear that I could have seen a blush on her face…

Sasuke separated his head and hands away from each other and looked up at Sakura, half-caringly. "Mind if I sit next to you?" Sakura asked as Ino came stomping up.

"Hey, back off forehead! I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Ino said angrily while grabbing Sakura's arm.

"I was here first…" Sakura grumbled softly. And here we go… I quickly rush to Naruto's side to check if he is alright.

"I walked into the classroom first, everybody saw it." Ino replied.

"Dream on!"

Now all of the other girls started to crowd the area. Great… The joys of being the most popular guy at the academy.

"Actually I got here before either of you." A generic female character said.

"So did I, I'm sitting next to Sasuke!"

"No, I am!"

Sasuke then went into his usual pose. With his fingers in between each other.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" I asked with a concerned look on my face.

"I guess…" He sounded a little disappointed. Hey, I just stated the obvious.

"Ooh, look a puppy!" I accidently say out loud while pointing at Akamaru. How long have those two been there? Eh.

Man, I sure hope that no one is spying on us… Wink. Wink. Sarcasm…

I think that something just made Naruto incredibly angry he was about to go up to Sasuke until I grabbed onto his wrist. He looked at me with a confused expression. I shook my head slowly.

"Naruto…" My voice turned serious for once. "Don't do anything stupid. If you try to take on Sasuke, then you will only get yourself into trouble. And not the good kind either. So, I will handle things from here, you sit right here and _don't_ move a muscle." I talk to him like he's a dog. No offence Akamaru… I'm just saying, that's all.

Naruto nods slowly, but he still looks a little unsure. I smile and stand up in front of the yelling girls.

"All right!" I say to them like some sort of major and we're going out to war. "Listen up! Stop your fan-girling and be quiet! I'm making the decisions here, Sakura, you sit next to Sasuke! Everyone else, go and sit somewhere else! Naruto, you sit next to Sakura. I hope we have an understanding here!"

"But-"

"Don't argue! Just do it!" Everyone looked shocked and scurried off to where I told them that they should sit. Wow, I am so good. At least I prevented_ that_ from happening. Ugh, I can see it now… Ugh.

"There we go, all better." I say as my tone turned sweet. "Now was that so hard?" I am also now in my seat. I noticed that some people were still staring at me and some of them raised their fists in anger. But, that just proves that my methods have worked. Yay me!

~Later… When the sensei guy comes in~

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here, you faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing, what comes next will be even more difficult. Now you are only Genin, first level ninjas. All of the Genin will be grouped into three man squads, which will each be led by a Jonin, an elite ninja." Iruka explained. Some of the people looked shocked as if saying 'What…? That can't be right?' But Sasuke and I just had our normal expressions, but I have to admit, I am curious to see which squad I will be put in. Even if it is with a bunch of extras, I can still kick butt.

"Well someone's got to be in Sasuke's group. I wonder who?" Ino said smartly.

"I don't know…" Sakura said sarcastically. Cue Inner Sakura.

"Ugh…" Sasuke scoffed softly, but I could definitely still hear him. And Naruto, well he was totally jinxing about him, Sasuke and Sakura being on a team.

"We want each squad to have a balance of strengths and abilities, so that's how we set them up." Iruka looked at his papers. "I will now announce the squads…"

~Time skip… Because the other squads aren't important~

Surprise, I haven't been called out yet. I'm most likely going to be on squad nine. I mean it's not like-

"Squad seven!" Damn you Iruka sensei guy! You ruined my trail of thoughts! "Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto's head popped up. "Sakura Haruno!" Sakura frowned.

"Yay!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs with his arms thrown up in the air.

"I'm doomed…" Sakura mumbled as her head flopped down.

"... Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke remained… Sasuke…

"AH!" Sakura screamed happily with her arms thrown up in the air.

"I'm doomed…" Naruto sat in his seat as his head flopped down. So, I guess the main teams are staying the same. I mean it's not like-"

"But…" Damn it, Iruka! There it goes once again! Thanks to you! "Since there is an uneven amount of graduates this time, I'm adding Melody Yakamashi to squad seven!"

… I feel a victory song coming up… But I won't do that since that would make me appear to be a silly girl. So instead I-

"Yahoo!" Stole Kiba's signature 'Yahoo!' That is fun to do. I noticed that Kiba's eyes widened, like _really _wide. It's like I just said 'Hey everyone! I'm going to blow up the freaking sun! Then we are all going to freeze!' And it looked like he wanted to say 'Hey, that's my line!' I have to say that I didn't expect this. This is like receiving a kiss from the one who- You know what? I have already said too much.

I noticed that Hinata looked a little bit disappointed, but honestly, I think that she is lucky. I mean, her team is very compatible together. They are all sensory typed ninja. It's the perfect squad. I have to say that I am a little jealous.

"Next, squad eight… Hinata Hyuga!" Iruka loves to interrupt everyone's thoughts today!

"Yes sir…" Hinata said quietly.

"Kiba Inuzuka!" Kiba chuckled a little. Oh gosh I-I mean uh… Yeah whatever, so he chuckled… Big deal…

"Shino Aburame!" Shino didn't say anything; instead he just adjusted his glasses. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, words of wisdom instantly come out.

Sakura made a peace sign at Ino with a small chuckle. A little late, Sakura… A little late… Ino growled with veins popping out of her head, yeah I'm watching this argument.

"How did you get in his group?" Ino asked angrily. Ask Neji. What will he say?

A: Fate.

B: Destiny.

C: Go away, you stupid girl.

Ino continued to growl. Shikamaru just looked away from her.

"I don't get what you see in a guy like that. He's not so special…" Shikamaru said.

"You are so beyond clueless, Shikamaru. Don't you get it?" Ino asked.

"No, I don't get it, because I'm not a girl!" Shikamaru replied. OH! OWNED!

Ino sighed. "You are so full of yourself… Jealousy is a terrible thing, I would hate to be put on your squad." Sounds a little hypocritical if you ask me…

"…Now squad ten. Ino Yamanaka! Shikamaru Nara!"

Ino gasped in shock. "Ha! Did you say something about hating to be on my squad?" Shikamaru asked smartly. I have to admit, Ino sort of had that one coming… Ino growled angrily.

"…And Chouji Akamichi!" Iruka finished as Chouji continued to eat his chips loudly.

Ino held her head as if she had a terrible headache or something… Karma… Sweet, sweet karma… How I love you.

"Well, those are all of the squads." Iruka finished.

"Iruka sensei," I gosh to kitten poop, here we go again. "Why does a great ninja like me, have to be put in the same group as a slug like Sasuke?" Naruto asked loudly. Sakura gave him the death glare as he said this. You know how I said that how I needed to go to the therapist? Well I might give that suggestion to Sakura.

Iruka looked up at Naruto. "Sasuke had the best scores of all of the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores." Iruka replied. And now everyone besides me, Sasuke (You know, because he isn't the happy type of person.) and Hinata, began to laugh hysterically. "To create a balanced group, we put the best student with the worst student." Iruka added. Great job… Achievement unlocked 'Child embarrassment.' Naruto growled a little.

"Just make sure you don't get in my way… Loser." Sasuke said emotionlessly without even looking at Naruto. Naruto growled even more and raised a fist at the Uchiha.

"Hey, what did you say?"

"Hard of hearing?" OH SNAP! Naruto just got burned! And now, the other kids continued their laughter.

"Knock it off, Naruto!" Sakura growled. "Sit down…"

Iruka cleared his throat. "After lunch, you'll meet your new Jonin teachers, until then, class dismissed…"

Yes! I'm so happy that I might even do a twirl later… When nobody is looking of course.

~Later… Outside the ninja academy for ninjas~

Sakura was outside the ninja academy (I think that you get the point that it is for ninjas…) and she was looking around.

"Sasuke, where are you?" She called out with no reply. "Where did he go running off to so fast? Since we are in the same group and all, I thought that we could have lunch together and get to know each other…" She murmured. I love eavesdropping…!

Naruto and I walked up to Sakura. Naruto was excited while I didn't really care… The plan is just going to fail anyway…

"Hey Sakura!" He greeted. Yeah meanwhile, when I wake up in the morning I get a 'Can you make me some ramen?' Typical… "Since we're in the same group, I thought that we could all have lunch together and get to know each other."

"Why would I eat lunch with you? How could that thought even cross your mind?" Sakura asked.

"But we're in the same group, so I just thought-"

"Naruto… You're annoying…" And with that Sakura was off fan-girling again… "Sasuke… Where are you…?" She called out to him like he was a dog.

"But… Uh…" Naruto trailed off.

"Don't worry, Naruto. When her obsession is over, you two should get along a little." I say, hoping to cheer him up. A little? Ugh… That was a stupid thing to say. I slapped my head. Yep. My hands are better now. I am a fast healer.

… And I got no response from Naruto… That's just fantastic…

~I'm on a roof… With Naruto~

Naruto looked down as he kicked his legs around a bit. He was thinking about how awful it was to be in Sasuke's group. But, I'm enjoying it, even though we haven't really done anything yet…

"There's got to be a way to deal with this…" Naruto said.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like you could just challenge Sasuke to a fight and transform into him to get a kiss from Sakura. That would be crazy…" Oh dear me… Did I just really say that? I did _not _mean to say that. I want a time machine!

Naruto looked at me with a large grin on his face and then he looked down at Sasuke, who was eating a rice-cake

"…Or can I…?" He asked slowly.

"No, you can't…" I also say slowly. "This will only come back to bite you in the butt and you will never hear the end of it." I warned.

"I'm going to take my chances." Naruto replied. "With my plan, then I can't possibly fail!"

"Fine… But if you don't succeed, then I will just say that I told you so."

Naruto didn't reply. He just kept on grinning his creepy grin… Jerk.

I stood up. "Well, I'm going for a walk… Let me know when you fail…" I added.

"Okay- wait… No, I didn't mean to-"

"Whatever, plan-boy…" And with that I jumped off. Maybe I could just check out to see what the other squads are doing.

~Later~

So I was just walking around and checking out all of the sights, when I heard barking… Wait a second… That sounds like Akamaru, yeah I know that there are a million other dogs that could be around here, but I was right. It's Akamaru and Kiba. I hid in the bushes. I love spying on other people almost as much as I love eavesdropping… Wait… They're practically the same thing? Well, I don't think so. Those are completely unrelated.

Just in case you're wondering… This isn't stalking… I would prefer to call it… Research… No! Not like that! Yuck! Vomit!

Kiba and Akamaru were just training by themselves. It seems like a good training area… After all, I just came here by accident. Come on boy… (Do you see the dog pun there?) Take your hood off… Take your hood off. Let me see that hair of yours… Did I just say that? Poop… Ha! There I go again… I have a terrible mind.

"Let's do it, Akamaru." Kiba said to the puppy. "Let's test out that technique one more-"

Wait… Why did he…? Oh! That's right! His sense of smell is a thousand times stronger than normal. Duh. Why did I think that this plan to stalk- look- research Kiba's abilities was going to go smoothly?

He began to walk over to the bush. Oh. Well. Here's another question. What do you think that I am going to do?

A. Stay in hiding and hope for the best.

B. Jump out and say that I dropped something.

C. Jump out and kiss him…? What?

Kiba stopped once he was close to the bush and Akamaru followed. Akamaru barked.

"Alright, you can come out now. I know that you are there." Kiba said. I panicked and jumped up.

"S-Sorry… I um… Dropped my hair clip… I have it now…" I laughed as I pointed to my closed fist, pretending that there was a clip in there.

"…You don't have a clip…" Kiba replied. This is getting a little awkward.

"That's because… I have it in my pocket!" I am so good!

Kiba studied me for a bit and folded his arms. "You don't have any pockets either…"

"Um…" I needed to think of something… Fast!

Kiba laughed. "Ah… Whatever. The name's Kiba Inuzuka." He held out his hand.

"Melody Yakamashi." I reply as I shook his hand. Kiba looked down as our hands unlocked and he crouched down.

"And this is Akamaru." Kiba added. Akamaru barked as he wagged his tail happily.

I also crouched down. "Hey there." I say, smiling. I held out a hand for Akamaru to sniff it. And he did. Akamaru barked happily and licked my hand. I giggled. His tongue tickled my palm.

"Well it seems like Akamaru likes you." Kiba said. "That's pretty amazing…" I looked up at him. "Akamaru doesn't always get attached to people so easily. So that must mean that there is something special about you." I felt heat rush to my face but I hid it.

"Is that so?" I asked. Kiba nodded and Akamaru stopped licking me and barked happily with his tail still wagging.

"So, you're the one who passed the Genin exam when only being at the academy for two days?" Kiba asked.

"Well, am I _that_ famous?" I asked as I rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah, that's me!"

"Who have you trained with?" Oh cra- You know, I shouldn't say that word yet…

"I taught myself…" I answered. "But I guess since I have been hanging around with Naruto, I have gained confidence. It's a wonder how I managed to be on the same team as him." I shrugged. Kiba didn't answer.

There was a moment of silence. This is awkward…

"Well," Kiba said as he stood up. "We better get going and see the others that are in our team… It was nice meeting you, Melody. See you later!" Kiba walked off with a hand raised up in the air. Akamaru barked 'good bye' and quickly ran off with Kiba.

I also stood up. "Bye, Kiba! Bye Akamaru!" I called out, waving a hand in the air, even though I knew that they couldn't see it.

So… I managed to get through that entire conversation _and_ I think that I just made two more friends… I love this place!

I take one last glance at Kiba and I noticed that Akamaru was now in his coat. I smile. Well, I guess that a man's best friend really _is_ a dog… I can't argue there. Not when it comes to Kiba and Akamaru… I turn around and walked through the bushes as I went off to go see how Sasuke was doing…

~Moments later~

I walked around a little and I found the place where Naruto and Sasuke were 'fighting it out' and I noticed that Sasuke had just jumped out of the window and onto the roof. This must be the real Sasuke; after all, I had been gone for a while, there is no possible way that they fought for _that _long.

I walked towards Sasuke and he walked towards me, only to shatter my ego and walk right pass me. I was about to burst out laughing until…

"Where's Naruto…?" Sasuke asked emotionlessly, and he didn't even look at me! Wait… I think that he has already done this already to Naruto. And I'm the next victim… I turn to Sasuke.

"Naruto…" Should I tell him…? "Naruto should be with Sakura. He's transformed into-"

"I know that already…" Sasuke interrupted me… Well that's just a bit rude! If I could go back in time, then I would've gone to where Kiba and Akamaru were… At least they're nice to me… But… I guess that's just Sasuke for you. I can't really blame him.

"So… What are you going to-" I stopped myself once I noticed that Sasuke was walking off on me… "Hey! Where in the heck are you going? I haven't finished my question!" Yeah. I really can't lie. I was mad at him.

"Hn… This doesn't concern you…"

"Actually, this has a lot to do with me, Sasuke. We are all on the same team and all… And right now, while we are here flapping our jaws, Naruto is in the form of you and he's trying to get a kiss from Sakura." I say, trying to get his attention. Sasuke stopped walking away from me and tuned his head slightly towards my direction. I smiled at my marvelous work. "But… If you want to… I could help you out by stopping him. Sure, I know that he is my friend and everything, but sometimes if he does something bad, then karma is going to have to bite him on the butt." And if you're wondering what I meant by saying 'bad,' It's because of when he did the Sexy Jutsu… Twice, and the Harem Jutsu right in front of me. And I'm a girl!

I walked over to Sasuke. "You just go off to find Naruto meanwhile, I'll get everything in place. But first things first…" He turned around properly and looked at me. "Do you know where I can find any cream pies…?"

~Is this for real?~

**Kiba's POV:**

Akamaru and I finally found the other two that were in squad eight, who were both sitting on a log. Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame. I walked over to them with Akamaru in comfortably sitting in my coat.

"Hey!" I called out to the two, while Akamaru let out an enthusiastic bark.

Hinata gave a small, shy wave while Shino adjusted his glasses for like the second time today.

Well, this should be different… All of us have never really hung out before now and we are all different. Shino is a bug nerd, Hinata gets really shy around people, while Akamaru and I are pretty confident in our abilities. But… Overall, I guess that we could somehow work out some sort of plan.

As soon as I stopped myself from walking too close to the two, Akamaru jumped out of my coat and landed a small distance in front of me and let out another bark. He sure was getting into things… He has been like this ever since we met that Melody girl.

Akamaru and I didn't sit down; after all, we can't really do all that much while we are sitting. I often left the class when I was younger as I couldn't seem to sit still. It's still an amazement to this day that none of my family members have found out yet.

Hinata was looking down at Akamaru with a small smile on her face. Does Akamaru get this often? Yes. Well, she might have some luck today. If Akamaru likes a girl that hasn't even been around for a week, then he will definitely like Hinata.

"Go ahead…" I say, knowing that she wanted to give him a pat. Hinata looked up at me and her smile grew a little. She slid off the log and knelt down and scratched Akamaru behind both off his ears. Akamaru looked like he was enjoying the attention. Hinata let out a small laugh that could barely be heard.

Still… I can't help but think… Melody… I don't know why, but I think that back at the academy on her first day… I can't help but think that we have hardly even begun to see what powers she has.

The transformation Jutsu may be a simple technique that anyone could do, but to think that she got everything right on her first try. And I heard that she passed the Genin exam with no sweat on her first try.

I have to learn more about her. What kind of game is she playing…?

"K-Kiba?" A soft voice said. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Hinata. "Is-Is everything okay?" She asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"W-Well, you've been staring a-at that t-tree for a while now, s-so I was just wondering is all." Hinata stuttered. She does that quite a lot now that I think about it.

"I'm just thinking. Nothing to worry about!" I say reassuringly.

Hinata gave a small smile back. "Okay, t-that's good."

I looked over at Shino. He hasn't really been talking… At all.

"Hey, Shino. Is there a problem?" I ask.

Shino was looking at a bug crawling on his finger.

"The insects have been acting strange for a couple of days now… Some sort of strange Chakra must be doing this…" Shino replied.

"Huh?" I raised both of my eyebrows in confusion. I then looked down at Akamaru. "Hey boy, have you sensed any Chakra out of the ordinary lately?" I asked. Akamaru barked a bit. I let out a small gasp. "Really? So, do you really think that… It's coming from… Her?"

"W-Who is it, Kiba?" Hinata asked softly.

"It's coming from…"

~Is this for real?~

**Melody's POV:**

Okay, so I've got two cream pies, a catapult, popcorn, the log, and a chess piece.

One of the cream pies are for hitting into Naruto's face, the other cream pie is for me to eat, the catapult is to shoot the first cream pie into Naruto's face with a lot more force, the popcorn is for me to eat while enjoying Naruto's reaction, the log… The chess piece… You know what? I don't know why I brought either the log or the chess piece along with me. Wait! The log is to rub it into Sasuke's face… You know because, he tied up a log instead of Naruto…? No? I shouldn't do it? Well, I don't care. I'm going to do it anyway…

So I began to set things up. I set the time for five minutes… Yeah. Apparently all of this high-tech stuff exists here. Seriously, I don't even know what year it is here. There are also computers here too. Really _big_ computers… Anyway, in five minutes, Naruto should make it here and because I hid the catapult perfectly in the bushes, he won't see it coming. It's also a good thing that I took all of those acting classes; otherwise I might have actually felt a little bit nervous…

And now we play the waiting game…

We're waiting and waiting and waiting and-

~Two minutes later~

And. Waiting. And. Waiting…

~Two minutes later again~

And… Waiting… And… Waiting… And… My god! This is boring! Well, one thing is for sure. Naruto is totally _not_ going to appear in the next two seconds. I hear footsteps. Ha! Reverse Psychology, how I love you! I quickly jump up on the wooden floor and pretend to be acting all innocent.

'Sasuke' quickly ran towards the bathroom but just as he was about to turn to go in, the cream pie flew quickly into the side of his head and 'Sasuke' landed on his butt in the small bathroom with cream pie covering half of his face. 'Sasuke' transformed into Naruto, who still had the pie covering his face. I peeked into the bathroom and saw Naruto rubbing the pain out of his sore butt… How graceful…

"Are you okay, Naruto?" I asked innocently. His stomach grumbled. Naruto shrieked and quickly shut the door and locked it. "I choose to take that as a no." I stated quickly.

"Man, my day just keeps on getting worse and worse…" Naruto said.

"What happened?" I asked as I tried to contain myself from laughing.

"Well, I nearly lost control of the Jutsu because of my stomach being so upset…" Ew… "It happened right then… Just when Sakura was about to… Ugh! Sakura thinks that _I'm _annoying? She said that three times… I transformed into Sasuke, I actually got close to her, and she has to say that?" Wait for it… "And not to mention that somebody tossed a pie in my face! Who does that?" He screamed. Naruto then suddenly laughed. "I know what I'll do, I'll make Sasuke act totally obnoxious. Believe it! Then she'll hate him even more than me." Naruto finished. Speaking of Sasuke, where is that slowpoke. He is taking forever! Realistically, no one should take this long to just walk over to a bathroom. Oh! Wait, I know…

**Sasuke's POV:**

I was walking around and I saw Sakura, she sprung up with a big smile on her face once she saw me. But where's that idiot at?

"Sasuke, you're back! Don't be so shy you bad boy!" She is too loud. She is really annoying me today. "Are you ready? I mean are you mentally prepared? Because I am. I'm raring to go!" I walked right past her, hoping that she would stop. That Melody girl was right… This is getting troublesome… "H-Hey wait a minute!" I stopped and looked at the pink annoyance. I could at least know where I am searching to find the loser.

"Where's Naruto?" I asked.

"Oh see, there you go changing the subject again!" She smiled, but then she replaced it with an annoyed expression. "Anyway, Naruto just picks fights with you. You know why he is so annoying, because he wasn't raised right. He hasn't got a mother or father. No one to teach him right from wrong." I looked around a little, that loser could pop up here at any moment, knowing how he is. "Think about it, he just does whatever comes into his head." This caught my attention. I glared back at Sakura. If she pushes the wrong buttons, then she has another thing coming.  
"If I did things like Naruto, forget it! I mean my parents would get mad and I'd get in trouble, so of course I don't do it." She really doesn't understand. My anger started to rise at these selfish comments of hers. "But if you don't have parents to tell you, how would you know? He's selfish and bratty. He's all alone." The wind began to stir up as if it was in synch with my anger.

"Alone…" I began as I remembered. "Isolated…" It was the worst day that day…

"Huh?"

"It's not about your parents scolding you… You have no idea what it means to be alone." I remembered their blood on the floor…

"W-Why are you saying that?" Sakura asked.

"Because…" I said what came into my mind. "You're annoying!" I replied. She gasped as I stormed off. I didn't care if she was upset. That is nothing compared to what I've experienced. So I left the annoying Sakura in the wind. I still had to find the loser after all…

~Later~

I walked for a while and I still couldn't find Naruto. I was about to search somewhere else when I saw Melody.

"So, Naruto, did you get all of that pie off of you?" She asks through the door.

"Just a second…" I heard Naruto's voice coming in from the door that Melody was standing next to. "I hope that Sakura's still waiting for me." The door sprung open with the loser running out. He was coming my way and once he saw me, he screamed. He slid on the wooden floor to a stop.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here? How'd you get loose?" He screamed.

"I used the escape Jutsu," I answered. "No sweat, It's a very basic technique. Why did you do that? Transform into me? What did you think that you would accomplish by doing that?" I asked.

"I thought that it would be fun to test out my moves on you, so I did!" Naruto made a hand sign and took a step back, activating a Jutsu. Four more Naruto's appeared and they were up in the air, ready to pounce on me.

"The same technique again?" I asked. I've already got a plan for this.

"This time you'll see what I can _really_ do!" One of them said.

"You're going down for the count!" Number two added.

"Then you'll have to admit that I'm the best!" Three stated.

"Get ready, Sasuke!" They were all about to attack when they all landed back down on the ground, clutching their stomachs.

"Hurry!-"

"Where is it?-"

"It's back again!-"

"I need a bathroom!-"

"It's an emergency!-"

"Let me in!-"

"Believe it!-

The Naruto's repeated this as they quickly ran towards the bathroom, trying to fight their way into the small room. I stared at them for a while, my eyes widened. I actually got tied up by this loser? After a while I gave up on waiting to fight them and began to walk away.

"What a loser…" I say to myself, walking away.

"See you later Sasuke!" I hear Melody call out. I just raise my hand and continue to walk away from those guys.

Sakura and Naruto are both annoying. But maybe I could get used to Melody…

**Melody's POV:**

After Naruto finally came out of the bathroom, we finally began to walk back to the classroom to wait for Kakashi-I mean… Our new Jonin teacher.

"Well Naruto, it looks like that plan is 'flushed down the toilet'" I say.

Naruto groans.

"It seems that you got 'dumped' before your plan succeeded."

Naruto groans again. "Stop."

"It's too bad that you didn't fulfill your 'duty'" I laughed.

"Melody…" Naruto groaned.

"Okay… Fine, I'll stop… Party 'pooper'" It took me a while to realize what I said and I started to laugh again. "Sorry… That one… I did not mean to do. Sorry… But Naruto… When you do something like that, karma is just going to come and bite you in the butt."

"Yeah… Whatever." Naruto groaned.

Well, that was a bit of a laugh.

We finally reached the area where Sakura was at. She stood up.

"Hey, Naruto, Melody, let's all walk back to class together!" She called out.

"Did she really say that?" Naruto asked himself quietly.

Sakura continued to laugh and wave her arm in the air.

Naruto frowned.

"Trying to trick me, wise guy? Well forget it!" And great… Naruto makes the hand sign for his Shadow Clones, but his stomach became upset again as he clutched it. Naruto did for what seemed to be a weird dance. "Why is this happening again?" He yelled as he ran off to the bathroom again. Well, that's what expired milk will do to you.

Sakura was looking really mad. She growled a bit. "Dumb Naruto!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Well, I'm not going back to that bathroom to check on Naruto… He's too smelly. I just laughed at his fails.

_Well the real challenges are now beginning and I don't know how to get out of this mess. But in a way… I don't want to. This is my dream. I finally have friends. I have finally met people who understand me. I have found the place where I belong. That is what matters. But… If I was sent here, does that mean my sister was too? I might never know. This is where I belong. And that's final._

~Is this for real?~

**Kiba's POV:**

"It's coming from… The new girl, Melody…" I replied. "That's what Akamaru says." I paused for a while, thinking things over. "Her Chakra is… Different from any other. I don't know how, but her Chakra seems like it's out of this world. We might need to keep a close eye on her at all times. Since Akamaru isn't familiar with Chakra like this, we'll have to make sure that it isn't a threat…" It felt like I was talking to myself, even though I knew that the others were listening. But… Maybe, she isn't bad. After all, Akamaru seemed to like her. But… I can't help but feel… Something strange about her…

She can't be normal…

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Naruto and Melody Voice-Over:**_

(N) This isn't the Kakashi Sensei we met yesterday… It couldn't be the same teacher who I tricked so easily… The one who came late to class… Ugh! No way! I'm not giving up no matter what he throws at me. A super tough test to defeat the sensei to pass? I'll do it! Nothing can make go back now! Believe it!  
Next time: Pass or fail! Survival test! Don't miss my big victory!

**A/N/**

**YEP! MOST OF THIS STUFF WAS COMPLETELY THOUGHT BY ME AND MY SISTER. SHE THOUGHT OF HAVING A PRANK, KIBA AND AKAMARU, YOU KNOW THAT SORT OF THING. I AM THANKING HER FOR GIVING ME SOME ORIGINAL AND INTERESTING THINGS. I JUST TOOK OUT A FEW THINGS, CHANGED, AND ADDED THINGS TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE ORIGINAL.**

**SO WHAT DID YOU THINK? PLEASE REVIEW TO THIS STORY!**

**ALSO, I NOTICED ONE FAVE AND TWO FOLLOWS. THANK YOU. BUT I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE SOME REVIEWS IF THAT'S OKAY. DON'T FORGET TO DO THAT.**

**PLEASE? :3**


	4. Pass or Fail, Survival test

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**The following is a Fan-Fiction. I do NOT own Naruto or anything to do with it. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. If I did own Naruto, it probably wouldn't be anywhere near as popular as it is now. I only own all of my OC's that I have made up. Please don't sue me… I love this too much.**_

_**Special Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**(Guest) Riel:**_

_**-Thanks! Yes Melody is likeable! I think of her as me. I'm pretty sarcastic at times. And if I had any power, it would have to be ice! Thanks for reviewing!**_

_**(Guest) Gota luv wolves:**_

_**-Thanks! Here are some answers to your questions.**_

_**Is Melody going to get a boyfriend? OH YES! *Smirks evily***_

_**Can you put more drama in it? Hmm… Well, I think that the best parts are going to have to be in the Chunin Exams and forward. But keep reading please.**_

_**As to what you suggested about a character, I'm not sure how I should do this… Maybe after the Gaara arc and before the Sasuke retrieval arc…**_

_**Anyway… Thanks for reviewing!**_

_**Now, onto the story!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

All of us members of Team Seven we're back in the academy class room, waiting for our Jonin teacher to appear.

"He's late" Naruto complained. He had been doing this forever now and it is getting very annoying. Naruto was peeking out the classroom door to see if he could spot our new Jonin teacher.

"Naruto! Just sit down!" Sakura ordered.

"He'll be here soon…" I added.

"Well I don't want to," Naruto turned to look at all of us. "How come our teacher is the only one that's late? I'm ready to roll! Believe it! The other groups have already met _their_ new teachers and took off on some big adventure or something. And Iruka Sensei is gone too!" Naruto has got a point there, no doubt about it, but we're just going to have to get used to it.

"We know, okay?" Sakura replied.

Naruto grabbed a chair and placed it near the door and also grabbed a chalk board eraser and he stood on the chair. He was trying to place the eraser at the top of the door, preparing for it to fall. Sakura looked up at him.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She asked as she began to walk over to him. Sasuke looked from the desk to what Naruto was doing with a bored expression written all over his face. I have seen him smile once yesterday, and that's it. Naruto laughed childishly as he fiddled with the eraser.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled with her hands on her hips.

"That's what he get's for coming late!" Naruto yelled as he jumped off of the chair. "Surprise!"

"You know you're asking for trouble… You know that you shouldn't do that…" Sakura replied. Sorry folks, Sakura actually loves this kind of thing. I mean we're all twelve, who wouldn't like stuff like this? Oh… That's right…

Sasuke's head went down a bit as he closed his eyes.

"Hmf… our teacher's a Jonin… An elite ninja… Do you think that he'd really fall for that?" He asked. Okay, once again… I don't feel included.

"Yeah, Sasuke's right… You are so clueless, Naruto!" Sakura agreed. Wow! She really needs her own brain.

"Look, the Jonin teacher should be here any minute. We just need a little bit of patience…" I say to signal Naruto to take the eraser down. But he just ignored me. Seriously! What did I do to deserve this kind of torture?

A hand was placed on the door. Naruto chuckled, Sakura gasped, I yelled out "Reaction shot!" and Sasuke was just being Sasuke… Quiet…

Kakashi opened the door with his head popping in a little. The eraser bounced on his head and onto the ground. There was an awkward silence… I wanted to say something to break the tension, but a certain clown beat me to it.

Naruto laughed as he pointed at the sensei.

"I got him! He totally fell for it!" Naruto continued to laugh.

"I'm sorry sensei," Sakura apologized. "I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I'd never do anything like that." Hear that kids? If you want to learn how to be a terrible liar, go and ask Sakura. She is the best! She was really going to say something like "Perfect shot!"

I simply face-palmed and let out a groan of embarrassment.

Sasuke stared at the sensei with an unsure look on his face. To answer your question Sasuke, yes, yes he is a Jonin. He's just… I mean he's… I don't know…

Kakashi picked up the eraser. Wait for it…

"Hm… How can I put this?" He asked himself as he placed his hand on his chin. Wait for it… "My first impression of this group… You're a bunch of idiots…" Kakashi stated. Man that was even more hurtful than what I thought. That was when we lowered our heads in disappointment. All of our hopes and dreams were just broken. Thank you Sir Kakashi… Achievement unlocked. Congratulations!

**Episode Four:**

**Pass or fail, Survival test!**

We all walked up to the roof of some generic building. Us four kids were sitting opposite to Kakashi, who had been sitting down on a metal bar.

"Alright," Kakashi started off. He sounded really bored, like he didn't even want to be here… "Why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time?"

"Introduce ourselves…?" Sakura asked confused. "Well, what are we supposed to say?"

"Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Hobbies… Things like that…" Kakashi answered.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first, I mean before we talk about us to you, so then we can see how it is supposed to work?" Naruto asked. I nodded in agreement.

"Me?" Kakashi asked as he pointed at himself. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate…? I don't feel like telling you that." Naruto and Sakura gasped in shock. What a great role-model. I just cocked my head to the side. "My dreams for the future? Never really thought about it… As for my hobbies… I have lots of hobbies…" Kakashi finished up.

"That was useless; all he really told us was his name…" Sakura told Naruto. He nodded in agreement. I pouted in annoyance, while Sasuke just remained the same.

"All right, your turn. You on the right, you first." Kakashi said as he folded his arms.

Naruto began to adjust his headband.

"Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really liked the ramen that Iruka Sensei got me at the Ichiraku Noodle Shop. But I hate the three minutes that you have to wait once you've poured all of the water into the ramen cup. My hobbies include eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is… To become the greatest Hokage! Then the village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody! Somebody important!" Naruto introduced.

Kakashi looked at him for a while and then he looked over at Sakura.

"All right… Next!"

"I'm Sakura Haruno." Sakura started off with a slight blush on her face. "What I like… Uh. I mean the person I like is…" She began to take some looks over at Sasuke. "Uh… My hobby is… Uh…" Stalking Sasuke? She began to giggle a little. "My dream for the future is…" She began to squeal. Ugh… Sometimes she can be even more annoying than Little Kid. But soon, she will begin to impress me.

"…And? What do you hate?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto!" Sakura replied. That smashed Naruto's ego. Ha! He screamed a little as Sakura was still looking at Sasuke.

There was a moment of silence. Kakashi was obviously thinking about how she's more interested in Sasuke than in actual ninja training. Somehow, I don't think that stalking can really count. "Next one…" Kakashi said as he pointed over at me.

"My name is Melody Yakamashi." I started… Um… What should I say? "I like to have fun, learn new Jutsu, train, adventures and pie." Hates… Um… "But I absolutely hate people who think that they are so cool and think that they are better than everyone else." I scratched my chin. "Well, my dream for the future is to not become Hokage, but to be the best ninja I can be. My hobby is to do sketches of landscapes. Well, I'm done!" I announced.

Kakashi thought for a moment.

"All right, last one." He called out. Sakura began to giggle again as she looked back at the Uchiha.

"My name… Is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything…" Sakura was taken aback by this. You know what I have to say? Deal with it! "What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone…" Sasuke finished.

We all stared at the Uchiha in silence. Forget about everything else being awkward. This is insane! Naruto looked a little scared as beads of sweat began to trickle down his face, while Sakura was just staring at how good he looks. Kakashi had his normal face. While I scratched my head. As for Sasuke's hobbies… Being a Goth… (I have nothing against Goths! They are awesome!)

"Good… You're each unique and you all have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." Kakashi said.

Naruto gave him a salute. "What kind of mission are we going to have?" He asked.

"It's a task… That the five of us will do together." Kakashi answered.

"What? What? What? What?" Naruto asked curiously. I rolled my eyes.

"… A survival exercise." Kakashi added. Oh great, here we go…

"Huh? Survival exercise?" Naruto asked confused.

"I thought that we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice." Sakura interrupted. "We already did this stuff at the academy, that's how we got here." She added.

I looked at her, a little annoyed, but I guess it can't be helped.

"Well, we haven't been with this guy for that long…" I whispered to the pinkette. "Maybe it is to test our skills, after all, we only just became genin, it's not like we have that much experience."

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"This is not like your previous training…" Kakashi said. It can sometimes be annoying to be a ninja. Even my voice is so stealthy that Kakashi couldn't even hear me.

"So uh… So uh… What kind of training is it then?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi began to chuckle, causing shivers to go down my spine.

"Hey, hold on…" Sakura started. "That's a normal question, what's so funny?" She asked.

"Well, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it." Kakashi replied while still chuckling.

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi place his hand on the side of his face and began to speak again.

"Out of the twenty-eight graduates who just came here, only nine or ten of you will actually be accepted as Genin. The others will be weeded out and will be sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make-it or break-it pass/fail test. And the chance that you will fail is going to be over sixty-six percent." Kakashi explained.

Naruto's mouth dropped right open; Sakura frowned, while Sasuke and I remained the same. The only difference is that I am excited to take on this test. I smiled.

"Right on Kakashi Sensei!" I say as I fist-pump the air. Naruto and Sakura looked at me like I was some sort of freak. And I'm pretty sure that I noticed a quick glance from Sasuke.

Kakashi looked over at me.

"Well, you look like you're confident, but if you're that cocky, then don't expect that you will actually pass…" He said. I ignored him. Nothing could break my good mood now. Nothing!

I shook my head with the smile still glued on my face. "Oh, you don't have to worry about us, Kakashi!" I replied. "Somehow, I predict that this test is going to be fun!"

"But wait…" Naruto started. "What is the whole 'graduation exam' thing about if we might just get sent back?" Naruto asked. "We all worked hard to get here after all."

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who _might_ become Genin… Or not." Kakashi answered.

"What?" Naruto screamed in shock.

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five a.m. And bring your ninja gear." Kakashi stated.

Naruto began to groan and he also started to shake a little with sweat drops trickling down his face. Sakura looked down at her closed fists for a while. Sasuke's hands even began to shake a bit. Me? I could practically feel the heat of the flames of passion burning through my eyes. I officially know what it is like to be Lee.

"That's it. You're dismissed." Kakashi said before he turned to us. "Oh, tomorrow you had better skip breakfast, otherwise you'll puke." Kakashi stated.

Everyone had a reaction shot moment, except for me. My grin grew to an unimaginable size. I was even amazed. Man, I love anime worlds…

So we were off to get some rest for our big day. I had a feeling that things were going to get interesting…

~The next day~

My alarm went off at five-thirty. Naruto must've left already. I smiled. That had to be one of the best sleeps that I have ever had. Don't hate me; I need my sleep you know. I got up and did all that I had to do. Then I was off. Luckily for me, I ate a few snacks before I left. I am so naughty.

~Later~

I met up with the others at the training grounds. Naruto and Sakura were both sharing glares at me.

"Hey guys!" I called out with a friendly wave.

"You're late…" Sakura said with her arms folded.

Time to do what I do best. It's time to steal some lines… Sort of…

"Sorry," I said as I rubbed the back of my head. "I ran into this guy who just so challenged me to a staring contest, and no matter what I tried, he wouldn't give up… But I won!" I lied.

"Actually, you slept in…" Naruto corrected me.

"Well, I wasn't the one who decided to stay up until midnight." I countered.

Naruto pouted and said nothing more.

"Well, you're just lucky that the sensei isn't here yet." Sakura said to me.

"Don't worry, besides, I have a feeling that things are going to stay like this for a while." I replied.

I looked at the three other members of Team Seven. Naruto and Sakura looked terrible. The bags under their eyes were one thing that you cannot miss. Sasuke looked the same. It looks like someone had a good night's rest…

Time to play the waiting game… Again. I really don't like this game at all at the moment.

~Later~

Kakashi just randomly popped up out of nowhere in front of us.

"Hey, you're late!" Naruto and Sakura yelled at the Jonin while Sasuke and I folded our arms in annoyance.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi lied as he pointed at the other side of the forest.

Naruto growled while I pouted.

"You are such a liar. You were probably too busy reading that perverted book of yours." I corrected the sensei.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Kakashi pretended to not know what terrors he was causing.

I narrowed my eyebrows in response. There was no beating this guy. I should probably keep my mouth shut…

"Well…" Kakashi cleared his throat. "Let's get started." He said as he set the alarm. He clicked the large button-like thing at the top as he spoke. "Here we go it's set for noon." He then reached into his pocket for three bells. Well, at least he hasn't forgot that I'm

"Your assignment is very simple, you just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it." Kakashi said as the bells knocked into each other, causing their beautiful sound to meet our ears. "If you can't get them by noon, you'll go without lunch." He added.

"Wah?" Naruto screamed. We ignored him and Kakashi continued to explain the task.

"You'll be tied to those posts and watch while I eat my lunch in front of you."

Sasuke frowned, Sakura held her stomach, Naruto was screaming and I was smiling.

"Yes sir!" I gave Kakashi a salute. Yep. Naruto's not the only one who does it.

"But wait a minute…" Sakura began. "There are four of us, how come there are only three bells?"

For as far as I can tell, Kakashi closed his one visible eye, which meant that he was smiling.

"Well that way, at least one of you will be tied to a post and will also be disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy… Then again, all four of you could flunk out too. You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells." Kakashi explained.

"Those weapons are too dangerous sensei!" Sakura called out. Um… I think that is the point.

Naruto laughed.

"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser!" He laughed.

Kakashi turned to face the young prankster.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores, losers." He said, making Naruto glare and growl at him. "When I say 'start' you may begin."

Naruto growled and reached for a kunai and began to charge at the sensei, but he ultimately failed. Kakashi had a hold of Naruto's arm and held the kunai to the back of his neck. I didn't stop Naruto from doing this because I just want to hear what Kakashi has to say.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I haven't said 'start' yet." Kakashi let go of Naruto's arm. I watched with a hidden pleasure. "But, you came at me with the full intention of destroying me so… How can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys. Get ready. And… Start!" He called out and the four of us jumped off, waiting for the test to really heat up.

~Later~

So, we were all hidden… Well, most of us. Naruto was off being a stupid-head again. Although Kakashi and I were a pretty large distance apart, I could still hear him mumbling.

"Ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively." He looked around a little bit. "Well they understand that much. They've hidden well." Naruto walked in front of him and he looked up.

"You and me, right now, fair and square!" He shouted. Cue epic face-palm. "Let's go!"

Kakashi cocked his head to the side in confusion. Don't worry, that's nothing. Try living with this guy!

"You know, compared to the others you're a little bit… Weird." Kakashi commented.

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird here is your haircut!" Naruto yelled back. Ha! Nice come-back!

Naruto began to charge at Kakashi and then the sensei reached for something in his pocket, which made Naruto stop to think. He stared for a while.

"Shinobi battle techniques, part one. Taijutsu, the physical art." He said.

Naruto gasped as he continued to watch the sensei pull out his 'weapon.'

Kakashi pulled out that dumb book out. Make Out Paradise. He flicked the book open within a flash. If I could, I would fall back anime style.

"What the-?" Naruto didn't know what to think of Kakashi's weird actions and neither did anyone else.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked in his bored tone. "Make your move."

"But… I mean… Why are you reading that book?" Naruto asked.

"Why?" Kakashi repeated. "To find out what happens in the story of course. Don't let it bother you… With your weak attacks it doesn't really matter if I'm reading, or whatever."

Naruto clenched his fists. Oh great, now the charging begins…

"I'm going to crush you!" He yelled as he ran.

Naruto tried to throw a punch, but Kakashi blocked it with one of his hands. THEN, he tried to do a round-the-house kick but, Kakashi just had to duck for that one.

"You're mine!" Naruto shouted as he tried to punch Kakashi, now he MUST have gotten this one… Just kidding! He failed again! Kakashi walked up behind him. I think that Naruto deserves to be hit by this attack!

"Huh?" Naruto wondered.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you all of the time." Kakashi stated as he made 'the tiger hand sign.'

"Naruto get out of there, quick!" Sakura yelled out as she popped her head out of the bushes. "He's going to destroy you!"

"Too late…" Kakashi said. "**Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu**!" Kakashi yelled out as he aimed his fingers towards Naruto's…. Butt.

Naruto screamed, thinking that it was going to be something painful… Well, I guess it would be. He screamed until Kakashi's fingers made their way into the crack.

"**A thousand years of death**!" Kakashi yelled out as he defied the laws of physics and somehow shot Naruto up into the air.

My cheeks puffed out a little, so I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing as I could barely hear what Sakura had to say. Something about poking him? I looked over at Sasuke, but I couldn't hear what he was mumbling under his breath. But, I do know what he would say! That those two are idiots! Again, try living with this guy! He's messy, he doesn't clean up after himself and he sometimes doesn't take a shower! Well, he will now.

Naruto fell into the drink! (A nearby lake.) And Kakashi grabbed his book again and started to flick through the pages.

"Okay, where was I?" He asked himself.

Wait a second… I got it! The ultimate plan! It's time to make things right. I jumped out of my hiding place and ran towards the lake where Naruto fell in. But two shuriken came rushing out of the water right past me and towards Kakashi, but he easily caught them with his fingers without even looking away from that dumb book. How is that book so popular?

Naruto then came crawling out of the water, he was absolutely drenched.

"What are you doing now? Kakashi asked. "You know, you won't get lunch unless you get a bell by noon."

"Naruto…." I whispered. "What _are_ you doing? Listen I've got I plan so-"

"So have I!" Naruto whispered. Well, it was kind of a whisper… He is just a bit loud. Naruto looked back up at Kakashi Sensei.  
"Besides! You told us about all of that already! How we're supposed to get a bell! I know already! Believe it!"

"You look very wobbly for someone who's going to 'surpass the Hokage.'" Kakashi stated.

Naruto's stomach growled. But, I was okay. I know that I sort of have an unfair advantage, but hey, life isn't fair. So they all have to deal with it. Believe it!

"You told us not to eat breakfast," Naruto complained. "How am I supposed to fight when I'm starving to death?" He yelled.

Kakashi turned to me.

"And you're not so good yourself." He said. I pouted as I folded my arms in front of my chest.

"_You're not so good yourself."_ I mimicked.

"Stop it. You're making a fool out of yourself." He said as he began to walk away, his eyes glued to his book.

"_You're making a fool out of yourself." _ I repeated. Kakashi turned to me.

"You know, if you're planning on becoming a ninja then you've got to stop acting so careless." Kakashi explained.

"Says the guy who is reading a book during a test." I said. "Take this seriously."

"_Take this seriously." _Kakashi mimicked. That's MY thing! He's going to pay for that.

"You're going to pay for that!" I warned.

"Really?" Kakashi asked. I nodded and turned to Naruto.

"Alright, Naruto, on my word we are going to-"

"Relax," Naruto interrupted. "I already know what you're thinking." He said as Kakashi began to walk away.

"Wait, Naruto I don't think that that's a very good-"

I couldn't stop him. His Shadow Clones came bursting out of the lake.

One of the Shadow Clones laughed a bit.

"You're over confident sensei! That's why you weren't ready for a Shadow Clone attack – my best Jutsu!" Number one yelled.

Then the Shadow Clones began too charge at Kakashi Sensei. Kakashi turned and looked at them.

"It looks like the stories are true," Kakashi mumbled to himself. "He can create Shadow Clones."

Yep, it's true. I remember the time when he first tried it out.

_*Flashback*_

"_Let's see you try! Show me what you can do Nine Tailed Fox!" I heard Mizuki's voice. This is it. When Naruto fights off Mizuki with his Shadow Clone Jutsu. I limp towards the fight and hide behind the trees so then I don't get in the way._

"_**Shadow Clone Jutsu**__!" Naruto calls out and a whole lot of Naruto's appeared. And when I say a whole lot, I really mean a whole lot!_

_All of the Naruto's began to confuse Mizuki by saying stuff like 'over here' and 'I'm right here' and 'come at me'. Mizuki looked a little frightened by all of the Naruto's that appeared._

"_W-What is this?" Mizuki stuttered._

"_If you're not coming-" One of the Naruto's started._

"_Then we're coming after you!" Another said._

_Mizuki screamed as he got his butt handed to him by all of the Naruto._

_*End of Flashback*_

"Great technique." Kakashi complemented. "But I don't think that you can contain it for very long." The Naruto's continued to charge at him. "You talk like you're the best, Naruto, but you're still the worst student. You can't beat me with this Jutsu." But then some Shadow Clones came from behind and grabbed a hold of Kakashi.  
"What?" He yelled out. "He grabbed me from behind!"

The Naruto Shadow Clone holding him snickered.

"Didn't you say to never let your enemy get behind you? Good advise sensei, believe it." The other Shadow Clones grabbed a hold of Kakashi's legs, while the real one was preparing an attack. "I had one of my clones come out of the river, then sneak up behind you super quietly."

The real Naruto came charging down and with a large grin on his face too.  
"Now, this is for nailing me in the butt earlier!" He yelled. "You're mine, and so are those bells!" He punched Kakashi – or should I say one of his Shadow Clones. Blood spurted out of the Clones' mouth as he got punched in the face. Everything seemed to go slow-motion. So, what better time than to act like it.

"N…O…!" I yelled out as if everything _was _in slow-mo… Which it wasn't… So, I think I completely humiliated myself… Oh well! That's what this universe is all about… Believe it!

"Huh?" Naruto (REAL) asked confused as he was still in the air.

They all landed on the ground. The Shadow Clone holding the other Shadow Clone fell down with the other still in his grip. I know, confusing, right?

"It's you…" Naruto started. Oh boy! Here we go once again! "You're Kakashi Sensei, aren't you? You transformed into me by using a Jutsu!" They all started to have a big punch up. It was awkward for me, I just stood there for a moment… Thinking. Should I stop them? Eh. Later. This is awesome.

They screamed out so many things at once that I could barely make out what some of them were saying to each other.

"You are!"

"You're Kakashi!"

"Believe it!"

"You smell like an old man!"

"You must be him!"

"No! You are!"

Okay, scratch what I just said, this is starting to get annoying. I walked over to the group of Naruto's.

"Atten…Tion!" I said, I should be a general or something for when I'm older, I would be good at that… Nah… Ninjas are better! I gave the group of stupid ninjas a salute. They all stood up and gave me a salute back. This is making things way too easy!

"Listen up, maggots!" I yell. I suppressed a smile. "You are a bunch of idiots. Kakashi is gone. Undo the Jutsu if you don't believe me!" I yell out. The real Naruto made a hand sign and all of the clones disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto looked pretty beat up.

"You know, you should _really _become a general of an army or something for your career." He managed to say.

"Listen, you shouldn't sleep through class or go off wagging with some of the other class mates. If you hadn't been doing that then you would've seen the Substitution Jutsu coming. I know that another one of your class mates slept through class, wagged, possibly doesn't shower very often, and smells like a dog, but even he would have seen it coming!" I yelled… Okay, so he has an advantage with his nose, but that still being said, he still would've seen it coming… By the way, just in case you don't know who I am talking about, (Because I am so good with my wording…) it is Kiba… Why am I thinking of him? He was a good example.

I looked at the expression on Naruto's face. He was scared to death. It was so bad that it looked like he was going to wet his pants… Too late. I sighed.

"Go change your pants." I say, looking away. He slowly nodded as he walked off. Until something shiny caught his eye near the tree. It was the bell.

"A bell?" He yelled out in shock. Then he smiled. "I must have got to him with my attack. He dropped a bell!" He laughed. Naruto reached for the bell, but then a rope wrapped itself around his feet, leaving him dangling from the tree. "Hey! Hey, let me down!" He yelled out. I scrunched up my face and then I grabbed a stick. I looked around. No Kakashi, yet. I picked up the bell with the stick. (You know, by sticking the stick of sticky wonders and stickiness through the crack part of the bell?) I then slid the stick out of the bell and held the string with a thumb and a finger.

"Well, that was unnecessarily easy." I say to no one in particular.

"What?" Naruto yelled. "How did you do that? How come you didn't get sent up a tree?" He added.

"Naruto, no offence or anything, but, that trap was one of the oldest tricks in the book. Even the guy who smells like a wet dog every time he gets a little wet could see that…" I thought for a moment. "Okay, I take that back, he mightn't have." I rephrased.

"Who is it that you keep referring to?" Naruto yelled.

I sighed. "Look, it doesn't matter. Look I'll have you down in a second and then I will help you get a bell." I said, but then a hand on my shoulder caught me by surprise. I jumped a little and turned around to see Kakashi standing behind me.

"You can't." He stated.

"Why not?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

"You see, the reason is because… You already have your bell. I didn't expect this, but you can sit the rest out." Kakashi explained.

"I'm sorry, can you speak English? It's the only language I understand." I said as I folded my arms. What? I suck at trying to speak in another language.

"You may not participate in the rest of the exam." Kakashi said. "I make the rules around here. You follow them." Kakashi was now giving me 'the look.' It's really creepy. Imagine this, Kakashi is staring at you _really _close with his one visible eye, and his eye is like… Well I can't explain much more. Instead I nod and walk away.

"Sorry, Naruto…" I said as I walked along.

…

Pft. I'm just messing around. I'm not that dumb. I'm not actually going to go off somewhere else with my feet up on the desk, sipping coffee… And not because it doesn't taste good either. I hide in the bushes when I know that Kakashi couldn't see me and I watched what was going on. Damn it! I can't hear the lecture of wonders… I think I used this joke already. But then shuriken came down after a while and shot Kakashi. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke… When are you ever going to learn? The log will forever haunt you…

Naruto looked like he had just wet his pants again.

"He just got blasted by shuriken!" Naruto yelled, stating the obvious. He then turned his head to the direction the shuriken came from. "Are you out of your mind Sasuke? You went too far!"

Blood was spurting out of Kakashi as he was falling towards the ground and then…

**A/N/**

**CLIFFHANGER NO JUTSU! JUST KIDDING! NEXT EPISODE IS ALSO IN THIS CHAPTER! I WOULDN'T LEAVE YOU GUYS IN DISSTRESS… YET! OKAY. NEXT EPISODE… BEGINS RIGHT… NOW!**

Poof! The log appeared out of a puff of smoke. Face it, Sasuke. The log is an important character. You know that you can't win against it. The log landed onto the ground. I sometimes wonder if those things are made of plastic… It's difficult to say…

I heard Sasuke racing off quickly through the trees. This is the most intense ninja training ever. I also heard Sakura charging through the trees too. You could practically hear her Sasuke fantasies. Wait for it… I heard a really high pitched scream that could practically wake up the dead. My poor sensitive ears… But I ignored that. I have to stop Naruto from getting anymore crazy ideas. I walked up to him as he was mocking Kakashi.

"_A ninja must see through deception._" He said. "Yeah, yeah! How am I supposed to do that?" Naruto asked himself.

"Hey, you want help, Naruto?" I asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I've almost got it. Besides I'm sure not going to fall for any more of his traps." Naruto replied as he reached for the rope that he was dangling from with his kunai. He cut the rope and jumped down, but then the trap reactivated itself and Naruto was left dangling once again.

"_I'm sure not going to fall for any more of his traps."_ I mimicked.

"I fell for it again!" Naruto screamed, again, it was enough to wake up the dead. Are Sasuke and I the only subtle people here?

_**Episode Four:**_

_**You Failed! Kakashi's Final decision!**_

I began to cut the ropes for the trap when Naruto suddenly gasped. Now, I thought that it was something important. That was the wrong move…

"What?" I asked. "What is it?" I asked, hoping to receive a half decent answer as the ropes were completely cut and Naruto landed on the ground.

"I saw them!" Naruto said excitedly. "I saw boxed lunches! If we eat them now, then we will be able to get a bell." Naruto explained.

"Okay, I see where you are going with this, but there are some major flaws in your plan. One. You are only aloud to have lunch if you get a bell, besides, there could be some terrible consequences to your actions. And two. If you attempt to eat lunch, then Kakashi might catch you and you might fail automatically." I explained.

"Well, I think that I'm going to take my chances!" Naruto said as ran off. I sighed. There's no point in trying to stop him. Once he makes his mind up, there's no stopping him.

Anyway, I think I might go and help Sasuke. He'll need all of the help he can get. After all, he actually goes head to head with Kakashi. Not as in they're going to bang their heads together to see who has the hardest head… That would be ridiculous. If someone was facing Naruto, then that would hardly be fair.

So off I went… I'm off to see the wizard… Of ninjas.

The only problem is… **That this is the biggest freaking forest ever!** How in the heck do people travel around these parts? It's crazy!

I'll just have to see what I can do. I'll have to wing it. So it's sort of like the written exams. I just answer the question at random. I don't even read it.

Ahem. Anyway, onto the point.

I followed the direction that Sasuke went and I saw him standing in the middle of nowhere.

"I'm not like the other three…" Sasuke mumbled to himself. Perfect timing! I deserve an award. But the least that Sasuke could do was to say my name… He's a meanie head.

"Say that _after _you get one of these bells…" Kakashi said from behind the Uchiha. "My Sasuke…" Kakashi then laughed as he mimicked Sakura. Sasuke turned around to face the sensei. This is going to be amazing! Think about it. Two awesome people facing each other in a one on one battle. Undisturbed. Amazing!

Tension was flowing through the air as they stared at each other. I looked at my imaginary watch. Don't worry, take your damn time. No rush or anything… Finally, Sasuke made the first move.

Sasuke threw shuriken at Kakashi, but he easily dodged the attack.

"There's no point using normal attacks." Kakashi said to Sasuke. But Sasuke ignored him and threw a kunai over to a rope, causing it to break. "A trap?" Kakashi asked confused as the trap activated and a bunch of kunai were heading his direction, but once again, he dodged, making the kunai hit a tree instead. Kakashi slid across the ground, but Sasuke ran behind him. "What?"

Sasuke attempted a kick, but Kakashi blocked it and grabbed Sasuke's ankle. But then Sasuke attempted a punch, but Kakashi grabbed it with his free hand. Sasuke tried to kick him with his free hand but Kakashi blocked that with his arm. Having him where he wanted him, Sasuke smiled and tried to grab one of the bells with his free hand. Realizing this, Kakashi let go of Sasuke and slid back, away from him. But before that happened Sasuke at least managed to touch a bell. The two landed opposite to each other. This totally isn't like Dragon Ball Z at all! Sarcasm.

"Well," Kakashi began. "You are different from the other two, I'll grant you that." Kakashi complemented. Sasuke simply ignored him, and made a bunch of quick hand signs. Thanks to Sasuke, I know what the hand signs for Horse and Tiger are. It's time for the Fire Ball Jutsu. Amazing! Kakashi's eyes widened as in to say 'What the heck! What's wrong with you kid?'

Sasuke began to breathe fire, it was beautiful. The flames looked so gorgeous. Sasuke's flames aimed for Kakashi, making a huge crater to appear. He did this for a while until he let the flames die down slowly to see where Kakashi is. His mouth dropped when he didn't see Kakashi anywhere near the crater. He let out a small gasp as he began to look around for Kakashi.

"Where…?" Kakashi's voice said. I quickly hopped out of the bushes to try to get Sasuke out of the way, but it was too late. Kakashi's hand came out of the ground and grabbed Sasuke's leg. Zombie invasion! Sorry, I couldn't resist… Sasuke gasped as he looked down at Kakashi's hand. "I'm where you would least expect me." Kakashi finished.

"Whoa!" Sasuke screamed as Kakashi pulled him down into the ground… Well, most of him. He left his head sticking out though. Kakashi came out of the ground and sat in front of Sasuke, but looked at me.

"Didn't I tell you to sit this out?" Kakashi asked me.

"You told me that I couldn't participate, but you never said that I couldn't watch." I replied. "Please continue, I'm an optimist." Kakashi looked back at Sasuke.

"That was the Head Hunter Jutsu. An Earth Style technique." Kakashi explained. Sasuke didn't listen to him all that much, instead, he tried to get out of the ground but with little success. "Can't move, huh?" Kakashi asked. "That was Ninjutsu, the third Shinobi battle technique. You are talented, and you were right," Kakashi looked at me for a moment. "You are… Different from the others," He looked back at Sasuke. "But isn't always better." Kakashi stood up, pulled out his book and began to walk away.  
"They say that the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down." Kakashi explained.

"Darn it…" Sasuke muttered. I looked at him and then at Kakashi. I began to walk towards Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" I yelled out. He stopped and turned to look at me. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll fight you," I said. He looked at me confused.

"What are you going on about?" He asked. "You've already got your bell, so you don't have to compete."

"For now maybe, but if I win this battle, then hand over one of those bells for Sasuke," I said. Sasuke looked at me confused. "But… If you win, then you will get my bell." I said, hoping that this would work.

"Fine then." Kakashi stated. "It's not that long until noon though, so I'm going to give you a chance to rethink this."

"I don't think that there will be any problems." I replied.

"What in the world are you doing?" Sasuke whispered in an angry voice. "I can handle this by myself."

"Sasuke, no offence, but somehow… Somehow, I don't think that a person stuck in the ground with only his head sticking out is going to be able to do much about this situation." I said, making the Uchiha growl a little.

I then faced Kakashi again.

"Well?" He asked. "Make your move then." He commanded.

I made a hand sign and balanced out my Chakra. Two clones appeared beside me, but these aren't just any clones, they're special clones. We charged at the sensei, running all over the place to confuse him and it worked. The two of my clones charged at Kakashi and he punched them both… Excellent. The clones turned into ice and since they were on the ground, Kakashi is stuck.

"What?" Kakashi asked, shocked.

"Like it?" I asked. "They're called Ice Clones. Once you make contact with them, they freeze and well, as you can see, you're kind of stuck." I chuckled. "I will warn you though, they are nearly impossible to break. So if I were you, I would give up." Kakashi looked at the bottom of the ice and kicked it. Too bad, if I did this correctly then there is no chance of escape. The ice started to crack. Poop! He kicked the other one, that one broke on the spot and the other eventually broke.

"What were you saying about this ice being unbreakable?" Kakashi asked me mockingly.

"Hacks!" I called out. "I call hacks!" I pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side a little. "Hacks?" He asked.

Crab! "You didn't let me finish you jerk! You are a huge jerk! A huge smelly jerk!" I yelled out.

"I hope you have a plan B…" Sasuke muttered.

I spun around to face him. "Of course I have a plan B!" I yelled and looked away. "Damn it… What's my plan B?" I muttered to myself.

"Are you kidding me?" Sasuke sighed. "You didn't think for one second that that wouldn't work?"

"No actually, I thought that it was going to work flawlessly." I admitted. "As to what my plan B is… RUN!" I ran off with Kakashi following closely behind.

While we were running, I noticed Sakura running in the direction that we were coming from.

"Hey Sakura! Sasuke's just a head! Bye!" I yelled out.

"What?" She asked a little freaked out. Ha! I love being so evil.

While we were running it gave me enough time for me to devise a plan. Now this plan can't fail.

I skidded to a stop and Kakashi did the same. I smirked.

"So, Kakashi, are you ready to face my ultimate Jutsu?" I asked as I summoned my Chakra into my fist. Shards of ice began to surround my hand as I stood still, waiting for a reaction.

"So…" Kakashi began, sounding as bored as always. "Are you going to come at me or are you just going to waste your Chakra and both of our times?" I pouted at these words.

"I'd like to see you even speak after this attack. Because I'm going to blow you away!" I replied. I should probably stop hanging around Naruto, he's making even me sound like him.

I began to charge at Kakashi and was aiming to punch his face, but he just tilted his head to the side and he quickly grabbed a hold of my arm that I was aiming to attack him with and threw me into a tree. I struggled to get up onto my knees. Actually, I was only on one knee to be correct. I began to pant a little. Who knew that being thrown into a tree could be so painful?

"Well," Kakashi said to me. "I'm still speaking. Didn't you say that you were going to 'blow me away?'" He asked. I growled a little.

"You're really annoying, did you know that?" I asked sarcastically. I stood up on both of my legs. I charged at Kakashi once again, but this time, I did it without using my Ice Fist Jutsu.

I threw a punch, but Kakashi managed to grabbed my fist. I punched with my other hand but the same thing happened. Kakashi was then able to knee me hard into my stomach, causing a small amount of blood to spurt out of my mouth. I was then thrown onto the ground and landed with a thump. It looked like Kakashi was about to knock my lights out until we both heard a loud ringing noise. It must be noon! And technically, Kakashi never actually defeated me. So… I get to keep my bell! I'm not actually sure what I could use it for but… Hey! Where's my bell? I had it right with me the whole time! Unless… Damn you Kakashi!

I was about to yell at the sensei until I realized that he was gone. He was nowhere in sight. I felt so angry right now I could just punch something!

"Damn you Kakashi!" I screamed out at the top of my lungs.

Don't get me wrong, I like Kakashi, I really do! He's just so sneaky. Too sneaky…

A small moment passed and we all met up where the posts were. And somehow, Kakashi managed to catch Naruto trying to eat lunch. This guy has way too much free time on his hands. So, just like before, Naruto was tied to the post.

I listened around and everyone's stomach was growling. Even mine was. A snack from ages ago isn't going to actually keep me satisfied. I held my stomach in embarrassment.

"Uh oh! Stomachs growling, huh? That's too bad… Oh by the way, about this exercise, well I've decided that I'm not going to send any of you back to the academy." Kakashi stated.

Naruto's face lit up as he began to laugh. Sakura looked confused though.

"What?" She asked. "I passed? All I did was faint and fall over, do you get points for that?"

Sasuke remained silent but he had a small and barely seeable smile on his face. I frowned.

Sakura started jumping up in the air and pranced around loudly while Naruto decided to speak up.

"Then – Then that means that all four of us-" He was cut off by Kakashi before he could finish what he was about to say.

"Yes, all four of you… Are being dropped from the program! Permanently!" Dun. Dun. DUN! Could you seriously pretend to make it any more dramatic Kakashi? Naruto and Sakura stopped their cheering and Sasuke's smile faded away.

I sighed. Way to go Kakashi! I looked over at the others.

"Well, to be fair…" I started with a soft voice. "None of us actually kept a bell with them, one of them got taken away from Kakashi, but afterwards it did get taken back, so…" I couldn't think of any way to put this. I even think that I noticed Sasuke giving me a quick glance.

"Drop us from the program?" Naruto screamed. "That means that we can never become ninja! You said that if we didn't take the bells then you would send us back to the academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that?"

"Because you don't think like ninja, you think like little kids, like brats!" Kakashi answered. Well, to be fair, we are only twelve. Sasuke growled as he gave Kakashi the death glare. He quickly jumped off of the ground and charged at Kakashi, but failed.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled out while Naruto let out a big gasp. This time it was my turn to give Kakashi the death glare.

Sasuke lay on his stomach while Kakashi held his arm behind his back. Also, just to make sure, Kakashi had his feet pinned down onto Sasuke's head.

"You think that it's all about you." Kakashi stated as he looked down at the Uchiha.

"Let go of Sasuke!" Sakura yelled out angrily. "You can't just step on him like he's some bug!"

Kakashi now looked at the remaining three of us. "You don't know what it means to be a ninja!" He stated angrily. "You think that it's a game, huh?"

The other three gasped while I just watched.

"Why do you think that we put you in squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know what you mean…" Sakura replied confused.

"I mean, you never realized what this exercise was all about! Not even close for most of you!" Kakashi answered. Wait… Does that mean by any chance that one of us was close to getting it?

"What it's about?" Naruto repeated.

"Yes, that's what determines whether you pass or fail!"

"But that's… I mean, I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning." Sakura said. Sure you were… And my name is Henry and I have a magical bucket full of dinosaurs.

"Tch… Use your head. Three people in a squad – or in this case four. Why do you think that we would do that?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto had a strange spazz attack… Again. He let out a loud yell. "How are we supposed to know why you picked four people? We didn't make the rules!"

"It's so basic…" Kakashi was getting really annoyed now. "Teamwork!"

"Working together? Is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.

"That's what I mean… It's too late now. But if all four of you had come at me, you _might _have been able to take them." Kakashi answered as he referred to the bells. "Well, anyway… It's over…"

"You set it up with four people but only three bells… If we worked together and got the bells, that means that only three of us could keep them and that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up." Sakura said.

"Exactly. I purposely pitied you against each other." Kakashi answered as Naruto and Sakura both let out a small gasp each. "I wanted to see if you could overcome that, and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your mind… Sakura!" Kakashi caught Sakura's full attention. "You obsessed over Sasuke, who was gone, while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him…! Naruto! You do everything on your own… Everything!" I wonder what my flaw is… "Melody! You rush into things without thinking things through carefully, and you think – like Naruto – that you are able to do things all by yourself!" That stung, bro… "And you, Sasuke, thought that the others were so far beneath you that they were worthless… Arrogance! Ninja missions are carried out in squads, of course you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this… When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure and death! For example…" Kakashi said as he pulled out a kunai and quickly held it up to Sasuke's throat. "Sakura, kill Naruto or Melody now or Sasuke dies!"

Naruto began to spazz out once again while Sakura let out a small gasp, while I sat there and said nothing.

"That's what happens on missions…" Kakashi stated as he shifted the kunai away from Sasuke's throat.

"Oh boy," Sakura sighed in relief. "That was really scary…"

Kakashi spun the kunai around his finger as he continued to speak.  
"The enemy takes a hostage and you've got to make an impossible choice. And someone ends up dead…" Kakashi stopped spinning the kunai around his finger and put it in his ninja tools pocket. He then stood up and off of Sasuke and began to walk away. "On every mission, your life is on the line. Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it? They all are ninja. Those who are honored as heroes in our village."

"That's it! That's it! That's it! Now I know! I've decided that I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm going to be a hero! A hero!" Naruto yelled out excitedly. I swear, if Kiba and Akamaru were here, then Naruto would be used as a human piñata! That would be amusing…

"They are… A special kind of hero…" Kakashi said.

"Huh? What kind of heroes are they? Come on! Tell us!" Naruto nagged. Kakashi didn't answer. "Well? Well?"

"They were all… K.I.A…" Kakashi replied after a short moment.

"Ooh… That sounds real cool!" Naruto replied.

Sakura turned to him. "It means 'killed in action,' they all died…" Sakura said. Naruto's grin now faded into a small frown. I feel that sort of pain. Even I had small tears forming in my eyes.

"This is a memorial stone… The names of my closest friends are engraved here…" Kakashi continued. We all looked up at him sadly… Even Sasuke. After a moment, Kakashi turned to us.  
"Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance… But I'm going to make it much harder on you. You will have three hours to get a bell. Eat your lunch now to build up strength, but, Naruto doesn't get any!" At these words, Naruto gave him a scrunched up face. "It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself… And, if anyone tries to feed him, that person will immediately fail." We all frowned. "I make the rules… You follow them, got it?" We all nodded in response and with that Kakashi left.

I moved myself onto the post that Naruto was tied to and sat on it while we all happily ate our lunch tauntingly in front of Naruto. He moaned as his stomach growled inhumanly loud. We all looked at him.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days – for weeks! Believe it! This is no big deal!" He was cut off by his growling stomach. I reached into my bag. I held some snack bars in the palm of my hand. "No problem…"

"Hey, Naruto, do you want some?" I asked as I unwrapped the bar. Naruto looked up at me as best as he could.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Melody, what are you doing?" Sakura asked confused. "We're not supposed to do that."

"Well, Kakashi isn't here, now is he? Besides, what kinds of friends would we be if we didn't? Didn't Kakashi just give us this big lecture about teamwork about five minutes ago? If Naruto is hungry then that could ruin the mission. And…" Man, I need to babble on after all of that time that I didn't talk. "What if I didn't feed him? What if it just so happened to fall out of my hands and into his mouth?" I answered. Hey, what can I say? I am great plan formulator… Even though my previous plans failed miserably.

Naruto looked kind of unsure.

"Look, do you want to starve or eat? It's your choice." I say, but I didn't wait for an answer and I just dropped the snack bar into his mouth. "Whoops!" I said in an innocent voice as Naruto began to chew the bar.

A random puff of smoke appeared out Kakashi came out of it with his version of the death glare. "You!" He shouted, referring to me. I just sat there. Melody is unamused… Why am I talking in the third person? A huge gust of wind suddenly came, taking us all back. Not literally of course… And once the wind finished stirring, Kakashi continued to talk to us.

"You broke the rules; I hope you're ready for the punishment." Kakashi made some hand signs and dark and stormy clouds appeared in the sky. "Any last words?" Kakashi asked us. At this moment I was going to say 'Mexican food,' but it's probably best not to try his patience.

Naruto's teeth were chattering in fear, but he still spoke up. "B-But Y-Y-You said…" He began.

"Yes…?" Kakashi asked.

"You said that there were four of us! That's what you said! That's why Melody and…" Naruto trailed off a little. Wait! A lot!

"We're all on this squad and we're in this together!" Sasuke finished.

"Yeah that's right!" Sakura joined in. "The four of us are one!"

Naruto looked around. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Believe it! That's right!" He agreed.

"The four of you are one? That's your excuse?" Kakashi asked as he leaned down to look at us.

I nodded. "And by the way… My last words are…" I paused for dramatic effect. "We pass." The others looked at me strangely, but Sasuke just gave me his normal look though. "Isn't that right, Kakashi?" I asked, waiting for an answer.

Kakashi chuckled and gave us what seemed to be a smile. "Well," We all looked at him. "You heard what she said… All four of you have passed this test." Kakashi said in a friendly voice.

"Huh?" Naruto and Sakura asked.

"You… Pass…" Kakashi repeated.

"What do you mean? How did we pass?" Sakura asked confused.

"You're the first squad that has ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum… That's true. But those who abandon their friends… Are worse than scum." Kakashi stated.

Sakura, Sasuke and I smiled while Naruto was literally on the verge of tears.

"He's… Uh… You know… He's… He's kind of cool…" Naruto said in between sobs.

Kakashi nodded. "The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad seven starts its first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi stated dramatically as he gave us a thumbs up.

"Yes!" Sakura yelled out. Sasuke was being his old self now. He was frowning once again.

"I did it! I did it! Believe it! I'm a ninja! Ninja! Ninja!" Naruto said happily as the tears in his eyes began to trickle down his face.

"Let's go home…" Kakashi said to all of us as we all walked away from Naruto, who was still tied to the post. Sakura and I were all smiles as we walked off. It feels good to pass… For once.

I could faintly hear Naruto's screams from behind us.

"I knew that they would do this! It happens every time! Believe it! You guys forgot to untie me!" He screamed. Yeah… 'Forgot.'

_So, I guess that we start our real missions tomorrow. Now, everything is going to get really dangerous from here. But, that's what being a ninja is all about. We risk our lives to defend those who are important to us… So with that being said… Prepare to see some ultimate action coming!_

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Naruto and melody voice-over:**_

_(N) What's this all about? All we are doing are these boring training missions, and then finally, we get a chance to do something big, and it turns out that we are just guarding this old man. And he says that I'm only a little kid-_

_(M) True._

_(N) And calls me a loser!_

_(M) Also true._

_(N) Melody!_

_(M) Next time…_

_(N/M) A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land of Waves!_

_(M) Don't miss me as a full on ninja!_

_(N) Hey! That's my line!_

_**UGH. I'M TELLING YOU, THIS TOOK ME FOREVER TO WRITE! THIS IS OVER !NINE-THOUSAND! WORDS! IT'S AROUND TEN-THOUSAND, FOUR-HUNDRED. DON'T EXPECT MANY CHAPTERS TO BE THIS LONG THOUGH. I THINK IT'S LONG BECAUSE I ADDED ANOTHER EPISODE TO THE CHAPTER.**_

_**ANYWAY, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW TO KEEP THIS STORY GOING. I WILL REPLY TO YOUR REVIEWS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW.**_


	5. Journey to the Land of Waves!

_**SonicShaymin2 – Yay! Another update! I'm so nice by writing this!**_

_**Melody – I'm glad you're satisfied. It's not like we're in the dangerous Zabuza arc or anything…**_

_**Naruto – Yeah! I could've been killed in this chapter! Also, I am not that loud! BELIEVE IT!**_

_**SonicShaymin2 – Well, Sorry for writing you so out of character.**_

_**Naruto – You better be!**_

_**Sakura – Guy's calm down! I'm pretty sure that no one wants to read this!**_

_**Sasuke – Besides, isn't there something that we need to do?**_

_**Melody – WE DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR THE VICTORY TUNE IN FINAL FANTASY. ALL CHARACTERS AND STORYLINES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**Ringings- Aw… Thanks so much… I never thought that my story would turn out this good, but I guess that I was wrong… I have to admit, I do sometimes laugh at the jokes too and so does my sister. Melody is pretty cool… Oh! And, there is going to be a big secret about her sometime in the Chunin Exams. I can't wait! Anyway, here's an update!**_

_**Rinuzumaki12- Here is the update! Thanks for your support!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

The sun was shining and the birds were singing, and it was the perfect day for a dangerous mission. Who knows what terrors we are going to face?

"_Sasuke, I'm at point B." _Sasuke's voice said.

"_Sakura, I'm at point C." _This time, we could all hear Sakura's voice.

"_Melody, I'm at point D."_ I said to the others. There was a moment of silence.

"_Naruto, I'm at point A. Believe it!" _Naruto's voice finally came in.

"_Too slow, Naruto…" Kakashi commented. "Okay Squad Seven… The target has moved! Follow it!"_

Okay, so you may be wondering… 'What the heck is going on?' Well the answer is simple. We are on a ninja mission. We are to retrieve a missing cat. You know it's so action packed. We have to run and run… And run… And… Run… And… MY GOSH THIS IS BORING! But, we have to deal with it like everyone else I guess.

We all hid behind trees as we carefully approached 'the target.'

"Over there…" Naruto whispered… For once… We all quickly moved on to a few trees ahead very quietly so then we didn't scare the cat away.

"_What's your distance from the target?" _Kakashi asked.

"Five meters…" Naruto replied. Get this, NARUTO did math. Sort of. Wait how does he know the distance? I think that he is telling a fib. "I'm ready, just give me the signal."

"I'm ready too." Sasuke added.

"So am I." Sakura said.

"I'm ready to go as well." I replied.

"_Okay… Now!"_ Kakashi yelled out as we all rushed over to grab the target, but Naruto was still the one who caught the cat. It's so funny! You should have been here!

"I got him! I got him!" Naruto yelled as the cat shrieked. But soon, the cat began to scratch Naruto and Sakura and I were more than happy to watch it all happen while Sasuke was the one who was talking to Kakashi.

"_Can you verify a red ribbon on right ear?"_ Kakashi asked the Uchiha through the ear piece.

"Affirmative. We've got a positive ID." Sasuke answered.

I continued to stare down at Naruto.

"Well, it looks like that cat doesn't think that you could make _the cut_." I joked. But, Naruto couldn't react as he was too busy getting owned by a cat. I frowned. It's not as funny to do it when you don't get a reaction. I sighed.

"Looks like you've just lost one of your _nine lives_." I elbowed Sakura, hoping that she got the joke. Nope. Just an anime-style sweat drop. Great… Now I'm embarrassed of myself.

"_Well anyway, lost pet cat, Tora, captured. Mission accomplished." _Kakashi interrupted my fabulous jokes through the ear piece.

Naruto grabbed a hold of his ear piece and was trying to fend off the dangerous beast.

"Can't we get a better mission than this?" He yelled that I could practically picture the sight of my ears popping off of my head and running off to Happy Rainbow Wood Duck Ville. Yeah… I have a vivid imagination… "I hate cats!"

I wacked Naruto across the head.

"Naruto be quiet!" Youch… I am actually starting to think that my yelling is more annoying than Naruto's. "Stop being an idiot…!" You don't want to know what I said afterwards. I just noticed after my half-hour rampage how everyone was staring at me… Uh oh… I got my ear piece, wondering if Kakashi was still there.

"Um…" I say as soft as Hinata. "Kakashi Sensei…? A-Are you still there?" I got no reply from my sensei. I turned back to my teammates. Even the cat was staring at me.  
"Well," I start off as I rub the back of my head nervously. "It's seems that we _may_ have a _slight _problem." I chuckled.

We all quickly ran off, hoping to find the sensei and after a while we did but…

"Oh my god!" I screamed as I looked down at Kakashi, who lay unconscious on the forest floor. "I think I have just killed him!"

Sakura tried to calm me down.

"Don't worry…" She said a little nervously. "I-I'm sure that he's fine… He might look dead b-but he should still be a-alive…"

Great… I feel so much better. The person who's trying to comfort me is actually more scared than what I am…

"B-Besides, Naruto still has the cat and I'm sure that Kakashi Sensei will be h-happy to know that we didn't lose it." Sakura continued

"Umm…" We hear Naruto, but we ignored him. I nodded over at Sakura.

"You're right. After all, even Naruto couldn't screw up something as simple as this." I agreed. I looked over at Naruto. "Right Naru-" I paused for a moment. Wait a minute… "Naruto… Where's the cat?" I asked a little nervously.

"Umm… Well, you see… In the rush to get here, the cat sort of scratched its way out of my arms…" Naruto answered nervously. I felt my face turn hot and I noticed how red Sakura's face was too. I looked around a little. Forget the cat… Where in the name of cheese and all things chocolate did Sasuke go?

Suddenly, as on cue, Sasuke appeared with the cat in his arms, who was staring up at Sasuke adoringly. Oh my gosh! Even the animals love Sasuke. What's next? Are we going to be invaded by aliens and once Sasuke shows his face, the aliens will make him their ruler? Nah! I'm just talking crazy talk… Wait… Is that cat a boy or a girl?

"Sasuke!" I called out happily. "You found the key to end global warming!" I continued as I took the cat off of him and began to stroke it.

"Since the idiot ran off without thinking, Tora decided to run off in the other direction…" Sasuke said. Wait… We're referring to the cat with its name? No one's told me anything about this!

"Great!" Sakura cheered as she inched closer towards Sasuke. "Let's report back." She suggested. Naruto and I nodded in agreement while Sasuke began to walk off saying, 'hn'.

I can't wrap my finger around it, but something tells me that we're forgetting something… Something… Important… Eh. I would've remembered. Nothing bad will come out of this anyway.

_**Episode Six:**_

_**A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land of Waves!**_

We were now back at the Hokage's office, watching the cat's owner strangles the poor thing. But Kakashi wasn't here… I can't remember where he is…

Just then, Kakashi came in and held his ear. He looked like he was in pain… But why…? Naruto and I ran up to him in anger.

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled. "Why are you late again? We could've been killed while we were coming back here!"

"I know that you are normally late, but seriously? After a mission? That just screams lazy!" I agreed. "Good luck trying to come up with an excuse to explain why you were late."

"Well you see," He began. "After you two were finished yelling at each other, I had to go to the hospital and you wouldn't believe how long the line was." He finished.

"You are such a liar!" Naruto yelled as he pointed an accusing finger at the sensei.

"That has to be the oldest excuse in the book!" I yelled in agreement as I folded my arms. Kakashi looked down at us as if we were crazy people and then he let out a small sigh in defeat. Yeah… That's what _I_ thought!

Anyway, the lady that owned the cat was apparently the wife of the Land of Fire's Feudal Lord. Her name was Madame Shijimi and well, we already know that the cat is the key to end world hunger… (1)

"Oh! My poor little Tora! Mummy was so worried about her naughty little fuzzykins. Yes!" She babbled on as she strangled the cat who literally had tears pouring out of its eyes.

Naruto laughed.

"Stupid cat! That kitty deserves to be squashed!" He said as he continued to laugh. I gave him a light elbow to the shoulder, but he thought that it 'hurt'.

"No wonder he ran away…" Sakura mumbled. Well, that answers my question. Tora continued to screech as we all talked.

"Now then," The Hokage caught our attention. "For Squad Seven's next mission, we have several available tasks…" He said as his eyes focused on a piece of paper in his hand. "Among them, babysitting the chief councilor's three year old, helping his wife do the shopping, digging up potatoes-"

"No!" Naruto complained childishly. The Hokage looked at him.

"I want to go on a real mission!" Naruto yelled as he formed his arms into a cross shape. "Something challenging and exciting, not this little kids' stuff!" Ha! He said Little Kid. "Come on old man!"

Sasuke and Sakura looked like they agreed with Naruto's statement, I know that I agree with it. So far, these D-Rank missions have been nothing but a bore. It's like math's all over again… Nah. Math is still the worst, but you get my point. Kakashi let out a small sigh. Once again, try living with this guy.

"How dare you!" Iruka yelled as he slammed his hands onto the desk. "You're just a brand new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else, you start out with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!"

"Are you serious? Babysitting is not a mission, it's just a stupid-ahg!" Naruto was cut off by Kakashi as he knocked him down to the ground.

"Will you put a lid on it?" Kakashi asked. Sorry Kakashi… You're asking Naruto to do the impossible here… It's not going to happen anytime soon…

"Naruto!" The Hokage called out. "It seems that you do not understand the tasks that you have been given." Naruto looked up at the Hokage. "Listen, many different kinds of requests come into the village every day. From babysitting t assassination. These requests are carefully recorded – analyzed. Then ranked A, B, C or D, depending on their difficulty. We ninja, are also ranked by ability. Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level-"

At this point, I started to zone out a little. It's all just blah, blah, blah to me. I already know all of this stuff. Fortunately, for all of us, Naruto was telling us a story. Story Time No Jutsu! The rest of the team also looked down at Naruto – including Kakashi and Sasuke. It was a very interesting story to be honest. At least it is better than listening to all of this stuff, which most of us practically already know about.

"…So I had this Tinekatsu ramen yesterday and I'm thinking miso ramen today-" Naruto was however interrupted by the Hokage.

"Silence!" The Hokage yelled out. Aw… And we were just getting to the best part too. We all looked back at the Hokage.

"Oh," Kakashi began as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that…" I'm still not forgiving him. I mean, it's not my fault he was late. Naruto turned around to face the Hokage.

"You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something. But I'm not the brat who used to pull pranks all of the time! I'm a ninja now, and I want a ninja mission!" Naruto yelled back as he turned around and pouted.

Kakashi and I sighed.

"I'm going to hear about this later…" Kakashi mumbled to himself.

The Hokage and Iruka grinned and chuckled a little bit. And a short moment has passed.

"So be it…" The Hokage announced. The others gasped in surprise. "Since you are so determined… I'm going to give you a C-Ranked mission… You'll be bodyguards on a journey…"

Naruto turned his head around with a grin on his face. "Really?" He then turned his whole body around. "Yes! Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess or some big some councilor?" He asked with excitement.

"Don't be so impatient… I will bring him in now… Send in our visitor!" The Hokage called out. We all turned around to the door. Oh. That brings us all joy…

The door opened and Tazuna was there, holding a bottle of something. But, I know one thing… He is a little bit drunk…

"What the… A bunch of little snot nosed kids…?" Hey! I'm no kid! I'm almost thirteen! I'm no kid… And I'm not snot nosed. Tazuna took a gulp out of his bottle and leaned against the door. Naruto stood up as we all looked at the man confused. "And you… The little one with the idiotic look on his face, do you honestly expect me to believe that you're a ninja…?" Tazuna asked.

At this statement, Naruto began to laugh. "Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his-"

We all looked at Naruto. Sasuke and Sakura moved next to him while I moved behind him. I hope he doesn't pull one off while I'm behind him. Sasuke was the tallest out of the four of us while Sakura and I were roughly the same height. And that left Naruto in dead last… Sweat erupted his face as he frowned.

"I'll demolish you!" Naruto yelled, but luckily, Kakashi had a hold of his jumpsuit.

"You can't demolish the client, Naruto… It doesn't work that way…" Kakashi stated as he tried to calm the little one down. Tazuna took another mouthful and swallowed.

"I am Tazuna – A master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your life…" Tazuna explained.

I raised my eyebrows, trying to act confused. Oh, man… This mission is going to be so dangerous… I like it! A real mission… I sighed softly so then no one could hear… They might take it the wrong way… And that would be a little… Weird…

~Is This For Real?~

We were all now at the gate that leads out of the village. We were about to leave for our mission. Naruto took a couple of steps out of the village and turned around to look at us… But his eyes were closed. He threw his arms up in the air.

"Yeah!" He screamed. "All right!" I can't resist much more… I walked out of the village and walked over to the same spot where Naruto was.

"Aw… Snap! We're going to be the ultimate ninja in the village!" I screamed, but maybe I did over do it, but I'm in the zone now and I can't really get out of it once I'm in it. "First C-Rank mission! What is everybody else going to do about it?" Maybe… I might actually be the drunk one…

"What are you two getting so excited about?" Sakura asked us.

"This is the first time that I've ever left the village before." Naruto answered.

"We're travelers now, believe it!" I said as I stole some of Naruto's line. "Besides, you have to admit it yourself, it is a thrill to be exploring places." Sakura shrugged a little. It's not like you would survive out here if we left you all by yourself…

"Hey…" Tazuna pointed at both me and Naruto. "Am I really supposed to trust my life with these two squirts? They're both jokes."

"You can trust me. But if you were left alone with Naruto, I say that you would be able to last about five minutes… If you are lucky…" I replied as Naruto began to get angry.

Kakashi looked over at me. "What she means to say is, that they're both with me and I'm a Jonin. So, there is nothing that you need to worry about." He corrected me. Sure, ruin the moment for me… Jerk…

Naruto turned around and pointed a finger a Tazuna.

"Hey! Never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday, I'm going to be the Hokage and you'll have to look up to me. My name's Naruto Uzumaki…! Remember it!" Naruto screamed with pride. I pouted and folded my arms. Naruto turned to me. "Oh… And, Melody is going to be my right hand woman." Smack! I got Naruto right across the head and he got knocked down to the ground.

"Let's get one thing clear, Uzumaki…" Remember this… If I call someone by their last name, then they're in big trouble. And some people may run to the police… "I'm no one's woman. We never discussed this… And if you think so otherwise then I will do something far worse than knocking you to the ground. Do I make myself clear?" Naruto nodded nervously. I smiled. "Good! Then we have an understanding." My voice turned sweet. I helped Naruto back up. Tazuna opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to the punch… And cake…

"Yes, Tazuna. I know what you are going to say. You were going to say how Naruto could become Hokage ten times over, and to you, he'll still be nobody." I said. Everybody stared at me for a while. I turned to Naruto. "His words, not mine…" I whispered. "Well, are we going to go? Our mission is to bring Tazuna back to the Land of Waves and we have no time to waste. Let's go." I say as I walk off with the others following behind.

~Later~

"Say, Mr. Tazuna…?" Sakura began, trying to start a conversation.

"What is it?" The bridge builder asked.

"Your country is 'the Land of Waves,' right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah… What of it?"

Sakura turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi Sensei, there are ninja in that country too, aren't there?"

"No." Kakashi stated. "There are no ninja in the Land of Waves. But in other countries, there are hidden villages, each with their own different customs and cultures where ninja resign. To the people of this continent, the existence of Shinobi Villages means strength – military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries. The ninja villages are not controlled by any government. They're independent and have equal status. Now a small island, like the land of waves has natural protection from the sea, so there is no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess Shinobi Villages are the lands of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind and Earth. They each occupy vast territories. Together, they are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has the Village hidden in the Leaves. The Land of Water – The Village hidden in the Mist. The land of Lightning – The Village hidden in the Clouds. The Land of Earth – the Village hidden in the Stones. And the Land of Wind – The Village hidden in the Sand. Only the leaders of these hidden villages are permitted the name Kage, which means 'Shadow'. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage and Tsuchikage. These are the leaders – the five shadows that rein over thousands of ninja." Kakashi finished. Could you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it all…

Sakura let out a loud gasp, but it did sound quite fake…

"Then Lord Hokage is really important!" She said. Did you figure that out all on your own Sherlock?

Naruto had his disagreeing face on again… And Sasuke… Was still Sasuke… He's really quiet today… Too quiet… He might've been abducted by aliens or something…

"Hey!" Kakashi yelled at Naruto and Sakura. "You all just doubted Lord Hokage right? That's what you were thinking?"

"No…" Naruto and Sakura replied nervously as they shook their heads.

"Well anyway…" Kakashi interrupted as he placed a hand on Sakura's head. "There are no ninja battles on a C-Ranked mission, so, you can relax…"

"Then we're not going to run into any foreign enemy ninja or anything like that?" Sakura said as her voice sounded a lot calmer than before. Kakashi chuckled as Sasuke finally looked over at the others.

"Not likely…" Kakashi answered.

~Is this For Real?~

So we've been walking for a while now and I think that we're going to be attacked by those ninja soon. I know this, because I have noticed the puddle of water. Curse you puddle… I will get you back for all of the crimes that you have committed. Maybe…

We walked past the D.O.O.M. Puddle. The Death Of Orbiting Monkeys. Don't get me started how I came up with that. I just feel like eating a banana right about now. Kakashi looked down at the D.O.O.M. Puddle and a walked up next to him.

"Kakashi," I whispered softly enough so that only he could hear me. "You've noticed them too, haven't you?" Yeah, I know that he knows… But who said that I couldn't pretend to not know of these things. Yep. I think that I'm drunk.

Kakashi nodded. "Try not to worry about it. Remember that we have a whole team here to back up each other." He whispered back. I nodded. Of course I wasn't worried. I know that not much damage will come out of this. Key word, 'much.' I looked back though, having a bad feeling. The enemy ninja have already made their move.

"Guys, watch out!" I screamed. Everyone else turned around. We all jumped out of the way, except for Kakashi, who had been tied up by the chains.

"Huh?" Sakura screamed.

"What?" Naruto yelled.

"Do it!" Enemy ninja number one yelled.

The two enemy ninja then ripped Kakashi apart by pulling on the chains hard. Well, to be fair, the chains did have sharp points on them… We all stared as Kakashi's 'parts' fell down to the ground.

"Guys…" I began. "Let's do this! It's time for these guys to meet my friends." I held up a fist. "Thunder," I held up the other fist. "And Lightning. And in case you haven't noticed, they're very, very frightening." The others were staring at me like 'what?' "Let's just get them…" I gave up.

The two enemy ninja snuck up behind Naruto while he was off guard. "Now it's your turn…" They chuckled. Naruto froze as he stared at them. Sasuke and I looked at each other and nodded and then we took off.

Sasuke literally jumped up twenty feet in the air and threw a shuriken down at the chains, causing them to slam into the tree and then he threw a kunai at the tree where the chains were at to keep them there and prevent the enemies from getting away.

The ninja tried to run away, but was unable as, you know, they were stuck to the tree. Connecting one chain between the two of them… Not the best plan in the world. "I can't get loose…!" One of them yelled. No duh! Sasuke then landed on the giant iron gloves that the enemies wore on their fists. He grabbed onto the iron gloves and then kicked the two ninja across their heads. The chains broke off of their iron gloves and the ninja then rushed out of the way to try to go after Tazuna and Sakura quickly rushed in front of him and Sasuke ran in front of Sakura.

"Boot to the head!" I yelled at the ninja as I threw my old leather boots at them. Don't ask how I got my boots back; I just somehow pulled them out of thin air. The two ninja stared at me as the boots hit them on the head. "It worked!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. The two ninja ran towards me with anger in their eyes. "Uh oh…" Sasuke looked over at me and ran after the two ninja. Somehow, I think that we had the same idea. We both ran up close to them and gave them a good uppercut, sending them flying into the air. I stuck two of my fingers in my mouth and blew. I made a loud whistle of course.

Kakashi appeared in the air out of nowhere above the ninja and knocked his fists on the top of their heads, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Yahoo!" I yelled out. I have got to stop doing that; otherwise I might get killed by you-know-who. Cue the Final Fantasy victory music! Level up! Well, at least I have prevented Naruto from getting that wound.

"Hi!" Kakashi said as he looked at all of us. Sakura's face lit up. Sasuke pouted.

"Good job Lightning!" I said as I waited for a high-five from Sasuke. He didn't do it. I pouted as well. I grabbed his hand and slapped it along with mine. I smiled. "Yeah!" Sasuke looked like he was cheesed off. I probably shouldn't cheese him off anymore. But it is fun.

Naruto gasped. "But he was-" He looked over to where Kakashi was 'finished off'. "What?" There were multiple logs. Ha! Looks like somebody just got trolled. "Kakashi Sensei… Used the Replacement Jutsu." Really? I thought that it was the Substitution Jutsu. Eh. Same thing.

"Naruto… Sorry I didn't help you right away…" Kakashi said as he looked at the knuckle-head ninja. "I didn't think that you would freeze up like that. You're lucky that your teammates were here to help. You could've gotten seriously hurt." Kakashi finished up as Tazuna let out a small sigh of relief. Kakashi then walked over to me, Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna. "Good job Sasuke, Melody, Sakura. That was very smooth." Naruto stared up at all of us. I walked up to him.

"Sorry if it seems like we took the spotlight. It's just that… You would've gotten hurt if we didn't distract them away from you." I looked at the ninja that were in Kakashi's arms. "Those ninja have poison in those claws of theirs. They're not just there for display." I took Naruto's hand. "They would've come at you and clawed the poison into your hand. Then you would've had to get the poison out by stabbing the wound, and that mean losing a lot of blood." I looked up at Naruto who stared at me. "It's just a theory."

"Hey…" Sasuke turned to Naruto.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"You're not hurt are you? Scaredy-cat!" Sasuke asked mockingly.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he was about to charge at Sasuke. I quickly put him in a lock as he yelled things like, 'Let me at him' 'He's mine!'

"Calm down, it's just a joke, Naruto…" I said to the blonde. Sasuke rolled his eyes like 'Sure, why not?' But, I'm going to take that as his way of agreeing.

"Well, it's a good thing that he's in check…" Kakashi said. "By the way, Mr. Tazuna…"

Tazuna took a step back. "Yeah? What?"

"We need to talk…"

The two ninja were now tied up to a tree. The log always wins…

"They're Chunin from the Village hidden in the Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack, they keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice…"

"How did you know about our ambush?" One of the Mist ninjas asked.

"A puddle… On a clear day, when it hasn't rained for weeks." Kakashi answered, he's pretty sure that he has made his point by saying so.

"In that case, why did you leave it for the Genin to do the fighting?"Tazuna questioned.

"I could've taken them out quickly… But then, I would've learned nothing… I had to know who their target was, and what they were after…" Kakashi answered.

"Hm? What are you getting at?" Tazuna asked.

"This… I wanted to know if they were after us. Ninja attacking ninja or if they were after you; the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say that ninja were looking for you, hunting you down. If we knew this it would be a B-Rank mission or higher. Our task was to simply get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building your bridge, if we knew that we'd be fielding attacks from enemy ninja, we would've staffed differently and charged for the cost of a B mission. Apparently you had your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission…" Kakashi explained.

"We're Genin; this is too advanced for our level of training… We should go back…" Sakura suggested.

Kakashi sighed. "I guess we should go back. As Sakura said earlier… They are Genin. They shouldn't participate in missions higher than a C."

Naruto and I began to growl.

"Come on that's not fair! This is our first real mission!" Naruto yelled.

"Kakashi Sensei… Not to be disrespectful or anything, but Naruto has a point! Besides, we will have to do this sometime, right? Like you said earlier, you're a Jonin. Everything should be alright! We will need the experience." I agreed.

"And isn't it true that we complete our task once we are assigned to a mission?" Naruto added.

"Please Kakashi Sensei. Sure, we got ambushed, but we survived. Come on… Let us take the risk… Please…?" I begged. Kakashi stared at the two of us for a moment and then smiled.

"Well," He began. "It seems that you both have various points. I guess that this mission won't be too bad…" Our faces lit up.

"Yay!" Naruto and I cheered.

"Way to go Thunder!" I say to Naruto as we high-fived each other.

"I thought that your fists were Thunder and Lightning?" Naruto said confused.

"Don't question me Naruto…" I then pointed forward. "Let's go you five! You too Thunder and Lightning!"

"I thought that we were Thunder and Lightning?" Naruto said confused.

"Don't question me Naruto!" I repeated as we set off to the Land of Waves.

_**Since this was a pretty short chapter, I'm going to put in episode seven as a bonus, and here I have the nerve saying that chapters weren't expected to be as long as the last. Aren't I just the ultimate nice person of niceness? Review! Here's the next episode!**_

We were now on a canoe. And we had our own rower too. It's pretty awesome. We get to laze around. Well, I was just sketching something… I mean, it's not like I was sketching a picture of anyone in particular. That's just talking crazy talk… Maybe I was drawing Akamaru…? But, it's not like I was sketching anyone else. I was seriously drawing Akamaru and that was it!

"The bridge isn't far now…" The rower said quietly. "Our destination is just up ahead, the Land of Waves."

Everyone looked up at the unfinished bridge. I looked up from my sketch pad and looked up at the bridge.

"Whoa it's-" I quickly placed my hand over Naruto's mouth. It's finally quiet around here. That's convenient.

"What? Quiet. I told you already to make no noise." The rower said softly. "Why do you think that we're travelling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog so then nobody will see us."

"Sorry…" I whispered. "Isn't he a stinker?" I asked. Naruto narrowed his eyebrows and I quickly moved my hand away from his mouth. I always know when somebody wants to lick my hand.

"Mr. Tazuna…" Kakashi began. "Before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something… The men who are after you, I need to know why… If you don't tell us, despite Naruto's and Melody's words, I'm afraid we'll have to end this mission once we drop you ashore…"

My mouth dropped. After that hastily thrown together two minute speech, you have the nerve to say that. Kakashi Hatake, I expect more from you. That's right. I'm going full-name on him. That's worse than me just saying your last name. You are a meanie-poo who has poop on his butt.

_**Episode Seven:**_

_**The Assassin of the Mist!**_

Well, it's time to listen to some back-story. This is a down side to knowing everything. You have to listen to the same story again and again and again.

"I have no choice but to tell you… No. I _want_ you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow…" Tazuna explained.

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi questioned. "Who is it?"

"You know him. At least, I'm sure that you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. The shipping magnate, Gato.

"Huh? Gato? Of Gato transport? He's a business leader, everyone knows him." Kakashi replied.

"Who? Who? What? What?" Naruto asked.

"Zip it!" I hissed.

"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a very famous company, that's true. But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods that he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago… When Gato first set his sight on the Land of Waves… He came to our island and used vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply… Disappeared. In an island nation, the man who controls the sea controls everything. Finance, government, our very lives, but there's one thing that he fears... The bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control. I am the bridge builder." Tazuna finished. Hey! Guess what? Naruto is not getting any of this! Surprise!

"So that's it… Since you're in charge of the bridge, you're standing in this gangsters way…" Sakura said.

"That means, those guys that we fought in the forest…" Sasuke began.

"They were working for Gato…" I finished. I looked at Naruto who scratched his head confused. "Does. That. Make. Things. Easier. To. Understand?" I asked. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't understand…" Kakashi said. "If you knew that he was dangerous and knew that he would send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?"

"Because the Land of Waves… Is a small and poor nation. Even our nobles have little money. The common people who are building this bridge, they can't pay for an A or B ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home. But don't feel bad about that. Of course my sweet little grandson will be upset, he'll cry…" Tazuna said and then he changed his voice. "Granddad, I want my granddad!"

All of our eyes narrowed at the man. Was he trying to get us killed with his loud voice or what?

"Oh. And my daughter will condemn the ninja of the hidden Leaves, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living the rest of her life in sorrow. Oh well. It's alright. Forget it." Tazuna said to us. We all looked at each other. What a load of extra baloney on pizza.

Kakashi scratched his headband. "Well, I guess we have no other choice. We'll have to keep guarding you."

"Oh! I'm very grateful." Tazuna said as he looked away from us and held up a peace sign. Yeah. Like no one saw that one. You would have to have Naruto's IQ to not notice.

"We're approaching the shore." The rower informed us. "Tazuna." The rower was now whispering. "We have been very fortunate, no one has noticed us so far."

"Nice going." Tazuna replied.

We were being rowed through a small tunnel and soon enough, we were in Land of Waves. And we couldn't have done it without the generic rower. We were now on the shore. Thank goodness too. I can't stand sitting with Tazuna. Now I'm the one being cheesed off. Mm… Cheese…

"That's as far as I go." The rower told us.

"Right. Thank you for taking such a risk." Tazuna replied.

"Just be careful." The rower said as he started up the boats engine and then he took off… Never to be seen again… Ever…

"Okay," Tazuna said as he turned to us. "Take me to my home and I mean get me there safely."

"Right." Kakashi replied. If I were him, I would've asked him if he had working arms and legs. But, that's just me…

We walked away from the dock and we walked right into a forest. Kakashi looked a little worried about ninja people. But I don't think about that sort of thing. What kind of ninja lunch should I have today after my hard day of being a ninja? Cheese? Burger? Cheese burger! No… Maybe… Nah! How about I drop the burger, and just eat the cheese…? Though, I might feel a little weird afterwards… That's not going to stop me! Cheese Ville, here I come! While I was busy thinking about my cheesy adventures, Sasuke quickly walked up next to Naruto. Ninja walking race Jutsu! Activate! You can practically feel Naruto's jealousy in the air… And I don't like it. I'll get him back in the Chunin Exams… Maybe… Probably… Eh! Why? Because he's going to do animal cruelty. Sure, it's not his fault but… I am a ninja! I know right from wrong!

Naruto ran in front of the group, causing all of us to stop in out tracks. Naruto looked around a little bit and then pulled out a kunai from his ninja tools pocket as he eyed a bush. "Over there!" He yelled out as he threw his kunai over at the bush.

Kakashi, Sakura and Tazuna had 'oh my glob' looks on their faces while Sasuke and I remained calm. Well, Sasuke could really care less about what Naruto did to be accurate. There was a moment of silence.

"It was just a mouse." Naruto finally said.

Sakura pointed at Naruto, not that he could see it or anything… "Mouse? Yeah right! Everyone can see through your stupid act! It's so obvious that it's embarrassing!"

"Naruto…" Kakashi began. "Those are kunai knives, they're dangerous…" Yeah, and that's a tree, it gives us oxygen to breath. Is there anything else that you want to state the obvious about? Tazuna began to growl… That's it.

Sasuke 'hmph'ed as he looked away, though I don't see what that is supposed to accomplish… Tazuna's growling began to rise.

"Stop trying to scare me, you scruffy little dwarf!" He yelled loudly. Kakashi held his ear. It's like he has already had a bleeding ear today or something and it hasn't fully recovered yet… Weird.

"Hey! Easy on the ears. You're hurting Kakashi Sensei's ears. He's already done something to them, he doesn't need someone else yelling at the top of their lungs. I would never do something like that. I'm a good girl." I explained to the bridge builder. Sasuke looked at me and gave me the sarcastic look. I didn't know that he had that. I replied to his sarcastic look with the 'why are you giving me the sarcastic look' look. I know that it is a long name, but it's a real thing.

Naruto looked around a bit, ignoring everybody's reactions. "Hey is somebody hiding over there?" He asked nobody in particular. "No, they're over there! Hey! Hey!" Kakashi looked over at the opposite direction from where the last kunai was thrown and I also looked over there, soon followed by Naruto.

"Over there!" Naruto yelled out as he quickly grabbed a kunai and threw it into the other bush.

Sakura stomped over to Naruto and wacked him across the head. "That's it Naruto!"

"Ow!" Naruto yelled out in pain. He held his head, hoping to stop the pain.

"W-Why did you do that? Someone really is following us, I mean it!" Naruto said in defense as Kakashi and I walked over to the second bush that Naruto threw the kunai at.

"Yeah right! Quit lying and acting like a dumb kid!" Too late for that. The second part I meant. But Naruto is my best buddy; I think that he's an okay guy. Kakashi and I stared down at the white rabbit that was leaning against a tree, underneath the kunai that was stuck against that tree. Poor thing… It twitched in shock. Sakura and Naruto soon walked over to us to see what we were doing. Sakura gasped.

"Naruto! Look what you did!" She scolded.

"Ah! A rabbit!" Naruto screamed as he rushed over to the white ball of fur and scooped it up in his arms and then he cuddled it. "Oh! I'm sorry little rabbit! I'm sorry!"

"All of this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna asked. It's not a rodent! For all we know, that rabbit could be a secret agent government spy who works in secret… I said 'secret' twice, didn't I? Oh well. Why Zabuza? Why? Couldn't you have replaced yourself with something that is less alive! When I get my hands on him, that rabbit isn't the only thing that is almost going to have a heart attack. You are too! I think I have heard something that roughly sounded like that… (2) Kakashi looked around a little, hoping to find someone who could've used the Substitution Jutsu.

"Look out!" Kakashi yelled as Zabuza's blade came flying towards us.

"Get down!" I screamed as we threw our bodies down to the ground. The rabbit ran away too, though. We really could've used his and/or her help to decide the fate of global warming… Oh well… That's the cat's job… Zabuza's blade flew into a tree and was stuck there and Zabuza landed on top of it, looking at us over his shoulder. Kakashi looked up at him with a glare as all of us stood up. Naruto was shaking with excitement, hoping to finally beat Sasuke at something. Kakashi took a few steps forward.

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi – Rouge Ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist…" Kakashi stated as Naruto was even more confused than what he was before. If that's possible… Naruto ran towards Zabuza, but an arm shot out in front of him to prevent him from getting any further. That arm belonged to Kakashi. "You're in the way… Get back." Kakashi ordered.

"But why?" Naruto yelled confused.

"He's not like those other ninja…" Kakashi answered. "He's in a whole other league… If he's our opponent, I'll need this…" Kakashi pulled a hand up to his headband dramatically. The rest of us waited in suspense to see what Kakashi's next move was. "This could be treacherous…"

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye… Did I get that right?" Zabuza asked, already knowing the answer. Hearing this, Sasuke let out a small gasp and stared at Kakashi. "It's too bad, huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man…" The leaves flew by in silence as Kakashi and Zabuza used one of the oldest Naruto traditions… A staring contest!

"Now quick!" Kakashi called out to us. "Manji Formation, protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight! I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it…" At last, Kakashi began to lift up his headband as we all stared at him. When he lifted up his headband, it revealed Kakashi's scarred eye, (3) which possessed the Sharingan "I'm ready…!" I smirked. Things just got interesting… And Naruto… Guess what! This is new, Naruto is standing there in complete confusion! This has never happened before!

"Well, it looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action…" Zabuza said as he turned his body around to face us. "This is an honor…"

"Everyone keeps saying, 'Sharingan, Sharingan,' would someone please tell me what Sharingan is?" Naruto yelled in confusion. Sasuke looked away from the rest of the group.

"Sharingan..." He began. "A rare power, it resides in the eyes… The user of this Visual Jutsu - or Dou Jutsu - can instantly see and comprehend any GenJutsu, TaiJutsu, or NinJutsu and reflect the attack back at the attacker. The Sharingan is a special and rare form of Dou Jutsu. However, there is more to the Sharingan to that, a lot more…" Sasuke finished explaining.

"You got it right, boy. But you have only scratched the surface… The Sharingan can analyze an opponent's technique, and then copy it down to the slightest detail…" Zabuza replied as the mist began to flood the area. "As for you, Jonin in the assassination unit of the Hidden Mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our Bingo book…" Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa… We're playing bingo? How come nobody has told me about this? "It called you, 'the man who copied over a thousand Jutsu. Kakashi, the copy ninja.'"

"Wow!" Naruto yelled, obviously impressed. "That's so cool!" I clutched my fists.

"Naruto, now's not the time to be impressed by this. I'm still wondering when we get to play bingo…" I whispered. Naruto nodded. We're both confused… I demand my bingo cards! Sasuke stared at Kakashi in confusion. I don't blame you!

"Enough talking…" Zabuza said to all of us. Has no one ever heard of a sneak attack? "I need to exterminate the old man… Now!" Us four kids in team Seven quickly rushed over to Tazuna, our kunais held out in front of us. "So, I'll have to eliminate you first, eh, Kakashi? So be it." Zabuza stated as he pulled his blade out of the tree and jumped off onto the water.

"He's over there-!" Naruto pointed out as he looked over at Zabuza. No duh!

"-Standing on the water!" Sakura finished. Once again, no DUH!

Zabuza made a hand sign with one hand as he raised the other arm up into the air, water and wind surround him, and then suddenly he 'disappeared'… Hidden Mist Jutsu…

"He vanished…!" Naruto gasped in shock. Kakashi began to walk forward.

"Sensei…?" Sakura asked as quietly as she could.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi said, knowing what Sakura was going to say.

"But… Who is he…?" Sakura asked. Am I the only one who pays attention here?

"Zabuza Momochi. The ex-leader of the Hidden Mist assassination unit. He's a master of the 'Silent Killing' technique…" Kakashi explained.

"S-Silent…?" Naruto asked. Nah! It's the 'Stomping as loud as an elephant while playing the freaking cymbals and yelling at the top of your lungs while you announce your attack' technique…

"As the name suggests… It happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind… It's so fast that you will pass from this life without realizing what has happened. The Sharingan cannot fully naturalize it, so don't lower your guard." Kakashi ordered as we all breathed heavily. "Well, if we fail we only lose our lives…"

"How can you say that?" Sakura asked shocked, but with no response.

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker…!" Naruto stated the obvious (Once again…) as it happened.

"The Land of Waves is surrounded by ocean…" Tazuna spoke up. "The swarming mists are ever present…" He explained. Give the guy a medal! But soon, Kakashi faded into the mist with nothing left of him to be shown.

"Sensei!" Sakura called out. I wish that they could focus like Sasuke and I right now…

"Eight points…" Zabuza's dark voice began.

"What's that?" Sakura gasped. It's a Super Saiyan… Good job figuring it out…

"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart…" Zabuza's voice continued. "Now, which should be my kill point?"

Suddenly, a flow of massive chakra that was almost strong enough to blow us away – literally – came bursting our way. And it was coming from none other than Kakashi. Sasuke look a little… No… Really nervous. He looked like his loved ones were falling right in front of him… Too soon… Sasuke's breaths were shaky and uneven and his body began to tremble.

"Sasuke…?" I asked softly, though it didn't seem that I was getting through to him. It's like he didn't even hear me. Damn it! Sasuke tightened his grip on his kunai and shakily pulled it up. No! and here I was starting to think that he wasn't emo… You need to redeem yourself for the title, 'Lightning.' Maybe Lightning will need to smack some sense into Lightning… Confused…? So am I!

"Sasuke!" Kakashi yelled out loud enough to finally get Sasuke's attention. "Calm down… I'll protect you with my life – all of you! I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me!" Sasuke calmed down and stopped shaking, listening to Kakashi's words. Though, the sweat drops on his face remained there.

"I wouldn't be so sure…" A dark voice interrupted. Zabuza somehow managed to defy the laws of physics, slip in behind us and he didn't even use the Stomping as loud as an elephant, yadda, yadda, yadda technique. "It's over…!" Zabuza stated as he tried to swing his sword, but was stopped by Kakashi, who had impaled a kunai into 'Zabuza's' stomach. The only thing is that instead of blood, water was pouring out of his stomach. Water clone… We were all literally blown away by this attacks that we all landed flat on our butts. The real Zabuza snuck up behind the silver haired Jonin, preparing to attack.

"Sensei, behind you!" Naruto yelled as he pointed at the real Zabuza.

"Get down again!" I screamed out. Anyone know what that is from? Because I just couldn't resist.

The Water Clone splashed away and Zabuza swung his sword screaming, "Die!" (By the way, that would have to be the closest thing to a sneak attack on this show…) Zabuza swung his sword 'through Kakashi,' which ended up being a Water Clone. Zabuza's eyes widened as the Water Clone of Kakashi splashed away. Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza and held a kunai to his throat.

"Don't move…" The Leaf Jonin warned. "Now… It's over."

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Naruto and Melody Voice-Over:**_

_(N) Oh no! It's not over! Kakashi Sensei fell into Zabuza's trap!_

_(M) Naruto…_

_(N) I've got to escape…_

_(M) Naruto._

_(N) He'll annihilate me! For real!_

_(M) *Cough* *Cough* How very considerate of you, Naruto…! What do you think is the right thing to do?_

_(N) To stay and fight…?_

_(M) Yes… And…_

_(N) To win…?_

_(M) Yep! So what if this guy's an elite ninja who has killed so many people and we have little experience with our ninja skills?_

_(N) Yeah! So what if us Genin have to face this by ourselves without much support while we have to protect the bridge builder? We'll win!_

_(M) Congratulations! Here's your certificate!_

_(N) Thanks! Wait… Hey…!_

_(M) Next time…_

_(N/M) The Oath of Pain!_

_(N) Nothing's going to stop me!-_

_(M) Believe it!_

_(N) Seriously!?_

_**(SPECIAL) Sasuke POV:**_

"Good job Lightning!" Melody said as she waited for a high-five from me. I didn't do it. Melody pouted. So Melody grabbed tightly onto my hand and slapped it along with her own. She smiled. "Yeah!" I gave Melody my own personal 'death glare.' I take back what I said about her, she is just as annoying as Naruto… I really don't like my team right now…

_**SonicShaymin2 – Well, here's the fifth chapter! I hope that you liked it! And I hope that you also enjoyed Sasuke's special point of view at the end.**_

_**Kiba- What am I doing here exactly?**_

_**Naruto- Yeah! He wasn't even in this chapter!**_

_**Melody- I don't mind…**_

_**Naruto- That's just because – OW!**_

_**Melody- Shut up!**_

_**SonicShaymin2- Just close the chapter, Kiba…**_

_**Kiba- Oh… Well… Thanks for reading! Please review!**_

_**Akamaru- Woof! Woof! *Special points of views and extras at the end of every chapter!* Woof! *Maybe…!***_

_**I know that Tora was the key to end global warming, but Melody is really strange this chapter and she also meant to say world hunger.**_

_**This moment, Melody said that she had heard this line somewhere. I was thinking of Yu-Gi-Oh at the time and that moment was when Joey was yelling at a Kaiba Corp. guy in season 2. I just changed some words.**_

_**Yay! I just found out what happened to Kakashi's eye! It's kind of gross, but it's good to know…**_


	6. The Oath of Pain

_**Sakura- Here's the sixth chapter!**_

_**Melody- Where's the author?**_

_**Naruto- Umm… Ooh! I bet you that she is eating ramen! I'm hungry!**_

_**Melody- No. That's what you would be doing if you were gone…**_

_**Sakura- Maybe Sasuke knows… Hey Sasuke! Do you know where SonicShaymin2 is?**_

_**Sasuke- Hn.**_

_**Melody-Words of wisdom… Sasuke do the disclaimer thingy!**_

_**Sasuke- …**_

_**Melody- Lightning! Do the thing saying that we don't own this!**_

_**Sasuke- That's not funny… At all…**_

_**Kakashi- We do not own Naruto. Naruto and all related products are owned by their respectful owners! **_

_**Naruto- Where the **** did you come from? You ******* scared the **** out of me!**_

_**Sakura- NARUTO! STOP THAT!**_

_**Melody- Maybe next time, Lightning… *Pats Sasuke's back***_

_**Sasuke- That's still not funny…**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

"Don't move…" The Leaf Jonin warned. "Now… It's over."

_**Episode Eight:**_

_**The Oath of Pain.**_

We all stared as the copycat ninja held his kunai to the silent killing master's throat. We were all still so surprised that we were all gracefully sitting in puddles and mud. That sort of stuff… The usual for us ninja. We've all been humiliated by being shoved into a puddle.

"You're finished…!" Kakashi said to Zabuza warningly.

Naruto swallowed. "All right!" He yelled out at the sensei. Sakura smiled and began to let out giggles of relief. Sasuke and I frowned, not moving an inch… When Zabuza began to chuckle.

"Hm…?" Kakashi wondered in confusion.

"_Finished?_" Zabuza repeated. "You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing but a crass imitation, I'll never be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you…" Kakashi sent a harsh glare at Zabuza until the Mist ninja continued. "You are full of surprises though… You'd already copied my Water Clone Jutsu when you made your little 'speech.'" Zabuza stated as he referred to earlier.

"_-I'll protect you with my life – all of you!"_

"Very skillfully executed…" Zabuza continued. "You made your clone say those words to draw my attention, while you hid in the mist… Waiting for me to make my move…"

"Nice try…" A voice from behind Kakashi said as another Zabuza appeared behind the silver haired ninja. "But I'm not that easy to fool…!"

The Zabuza that Kakashi held the kunai at splashed away. A water clone… Why couldn't I remember that happening…?

"Hey! That one's a clone too!" Naruto exclaimed. Kakashi turned his head to face Zabuza who had swung his sword, but Kakashi ducked the blade just in time, causing the blade to dig into the ground. Kakashi's eyes widened as Zabuza kicked him, sending him flying into the air.

"Now!" Zabuza yelled out as he pulled his blade out of the ground. He rushed off towards Kakashi at top speed, but he was forced to slide to as stop. He gasped. "Makibishi spikes…!" He stated the obvious to no one in particular. "Trying to slow me down… Hmf… Foolish…" He said as he jumped of somewhere. Meanwhile Kakashi fell into a nearby lake. Uh oh… This is not going to end well…

"Sensei!" Naruto called out to Kakashi in worry while Sakura was shaking all over with wide eyes.

"He has great physical skill too…!" Sasuke murmured.

"Dodge!" I called out. "I mean uh… Get out of the water! You'll drown!"

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura gave me the 'this isn't the time' look. I gritted my teeth. They'll be sorry that they didn't listen to me… It's sort of true…

Kakashi's upper half of his body slowly made its way to the surface of the water. He looked down at his arm in deep thought. Right then, Zabuza ran over behind Kakashi with a hand sign prepared.

"Hmpf… Fool…!" Zabuza said as he made quick hand signs. Kakashi's eyes widened. _**"Water Prison Jutsu!"**_ Zabuza announced as he held his hands out in front of himself.

Kakashi looked at Zabuza from the corner of his Sharingan eye. "No…!" He gasped. Kakashi was soon surrounded by a sphere of water. Kakashi stared at Zabuza, who had a hand in the sphere of water.

"I told him to dodge…" I growled softly.

Zabuza chuckled evilly. "This prison is made out of water, but it's stronger than steel… It's hard to fight when you can't move. So much for the 'Great Kakashi.' I'll finish you off later, but first, your little friends will have to be eliminated…" He explained as he made a hand sign with one hand. Soon, a water clone came out of the water in the form of Zabuza. Naruto gasped. His breath now turned shaky as his eyes widened. "You think that wearing a headband makes you a ninja… When you've hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't faze you… Then you _may _become a ninja. When you've become so deadly, your profile is entered in my Bingo Book, then you _may _have earned the title… 'Ninja…'" Zabuza said as he made another hand sign with a single hand. Mist soon surrounded the area, causing us to see hardly anything. "But… To call upstarts like you 'ninja' is a joke…!"

Naruto shivered in fear as the mist took over our surroundings.

"Naruto, dodge! Get out of the way!" I called out. But it was too late. Naruto's eyes widened as Zabuza's Clone hit him up the jaw, sending him flying away. The impact was that intense that Naruto's headband was sent flying in the other direction. Naruto landed with a thud on his back and was followed by the headband, which Zabuza had so rudely stepped on.

"You're just brats…!" Zabuza's Clone said to the blonde.

Sasuke and Sakura turned to their direction. They both gasped, surprised at how fast the clone of Zabuza moved.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out to him.

Kakashi growled in the water bubble. "Listen, get the bridge builder and run! You can't win this fight!" He ordered. Who? Oh, that's right… I nearly forgot about that guy… "He's using all of his power to keep me in this prison. He can only use with his water clone. But the clone can't go far from his real body, if you get away from him, he can't follow. Now run!"

We all stared at Kakashi with our eyes widened. Sasuke gritted his teeth as a sweat drop slid down the side of his head. Sasuke looked around at all of us in deep thought. I looked over at him with my eyes widened.

"Sasuke…" I began softly.

"We've got to do it… Ah!" Sasuke screamed as he ran towards the Zabuza Clone.

"Sasuke! Are you an idiot? Don't!" I yelled. My body moved on its' own and I followed Sasuke, but Sasuke had a head start and I was slightly slower than he was. Zabuza's Clone looked over at us – But mostly Sasuke – and grabbed onto his blade. Sasuke scratched through his ninja tools' pocket and threw some shuriken at the clone. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. They all flew at the water clone, but he drew out his blade and swung the shuriken that the Uchiha threw at him away. Sasuke jumped in the air while Zabuza's Clone was distracted.

"Now!" He yelled out with a kunai in his hand. Zabuza's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the raven haired boy.

"Too easy…" He mumbled. Sasuke was coming down towards the clone, but he was caught by a hand around his throat. Sasuke grunted as he tried to pull the Zabuza Clone's giant hand with his small hands by comparison.

"Let go of him!" I yelled at the clone, he looked at me, but he easily knocked me away with the side of his blade. I shrieked in pain as my back smashed into a tree.

"Melody!" Naruto and Sakura yelled out to me in unison.

Sasuke struggled to look at my direction, but was thrown away and landed hard on the ground

"Gah!" He screamed out.

"Sasuke! No!" Sakura screamed out shakily.

"He got Sasuke _and_ Melody…!" Naruto said in shock as he looked at both me and Sasuke. His body shakily moved to face the figure that was in front of him. It was Zabuza. He was the one who was staring down at the blonde. I had held my breath worryingly. When I took in a breath, I coughed up a small amount of blood. I stared at the fresh blood that I had just coughed up with my eyes widened. A chill went down my spine.

Naruto looked like he was going to wet his pants for a second there. He looked up at Zabuza, shaking, and then he looked over at the headband. He then looked at me. He looked frightened for a moment. But once Sasuke and I finally stood up despite the pain in our backs, Naruto smiled. It wasn't a fake smile. It was a real smile of relief and happiness. Naruto stood up also, still looking over at me with the hero like smile on his face. He raised a fist – his left fist. The fist that was supposed to be injured earlier.

"_Sorry if it seems like we took the spotlight. It's just that… You would've gotten hurt if we didn't distract them away from you." I looked at the ninja that were in Kakashi's arms. "Those ninja have poison in those claws of theirs. They're not just there for display." I took Naruto's hand. "They would've come at you and clawed the poison into your hand. Then you would've had to get the poison out by stabbing the wound, and that mean losing a lot of blood."_

Naruto mouthed a 'thank you' to me as his expression turned serious as he ran off towards the Zabuza Clone.

"_Yeah!" He screamed. "All right!" I can't resist much more… I walked out of the village and walked over to the same spot where Naruto was._

"_Aw… Snap! We're going to be the ultimate ninja in the village!"_

"_First C-Rank mission! What is everybody else going to do about it?"_

"_**Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**_

"Huh?" Kakashi said in confusion. "Naruto! No!" Kakashi screamed.

"_Are you okay Naruto?" I asked. "It didn't get you, did it?"_

"_Why did you… Save me, Melody?"_

"Argh!" Sakura screamed as loud as she could with her hands scrunching up her pink hair.

Zabuza chuckled. "Fool…"

"_And my future dream is… To become the greatest Hokage! Then the village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody! Somebody important!"_

Naruto continued to charge at Zabuza's Clone. Everything seemed to be in slow-motion from where I was seeing things. Naruto's arm reached out towards the ground and was kneed in the stomach, but his hand grabbed onto something before he rolled towards the others.

Sakura gritted her teeth. "What are you thinking charging in by yourself? Even Sasuke couldn't get to him!" She lectured. What am I? Chopped liver? "We're only Genin! We can't defeat a Jonin! What did you think that you would accomplish by that?" Sakura stopped talking and gasped when Naruto was trying to stand back up. She looked at him confused when she saw the headband that was in his hand. Sasuke just stared in confusion… Well… As good a confused look that Sasuke is able to do anyway… It even looked like Kakashi was thinking, 'What the heck? Haven't I taught the idiot nothing in all of the screen time that we've shared?' Oops… There I go, breaking the fourth wall again… I am so naughty today.

Naruto was finally able to stand up, even though it took him a while. "Hey you… The freak with no eyebrows…" Naruto began, causing Zabuza to narrow his eyes, and made a few veins pop out of his head. Oh! Somebody just got schooled! "Put this into your Bingo Book… The ninja who will become Hokage for the Village Hidden in the Leaves…" Naruto took a big breath as he tied the headband back onto his forehead. Zabuza cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "…Never backs down…" Naruto tightened his headband and smiled. "His name's Naruto Uzumaki!"

Everyone stared at the blonde in silence for a while.

"Alright, Sasuke! Listen up, can you hear me?" Naruto asked. Nope. He's suddenly gone deaf.

"Yeah… I hear you." Sasuke answered.

"I have a plan." Naruto said. Sasuke stared emotionlessly at Naruto.

"Hn. So you're finally thinking about teamwork, huh?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura stared at Naruto and Sasuke with a slight blush on her face. To think that she could actually be with a nice guy if she stopped her fangirling. Oh well…

"Alright, guys… Let's go wild!" Naruto announced with a large smile across his face.

~Is This For Real~

I was now standing around with the other guys. We had an ultimate stare off. If we don't win this epic staring contest, then we are. All. Doomed. Just kidding, it's only a battle.

"Alright. Ready? Let's bring this guy down!" Naruto said to Sasuke with a large grin on his face. Zabuza laughed.

"Big words for such a little man… Do you think your plan is going to keep you in the game?" Zabuza's Clone asked Naruto.

"What are you doing? I told you to run!" Kakashi yelled out to all of us. "This fight was over the moment I got caught! Now take off!" We all stared at Kakashi with frowns on our faces. "Your mission is not to prove how brave you are! It's to save the bridge builder! Stay. On. Mission. Naruto turned to Tazuna sadly.

"Bridge builder…?" He trailed off. Tazuna sighed.

"Well I… I guess…" Tazuna mumbled. We all stared at the bridge builder patiently, like all professional ninja do. 'Hey guys, let's all let down our guards completely!' 'Totally! Nothing bad will happen if we do that!' "I guess this all happened because of me and my desire to live, but I won't let that stand in your way now… Forget about me! Do what you have to do! Go ahead to fight and save your sensei!" Tazuna ordered.

Sasuke smiled. Wow… I bet you don't hear that everyday… "Hn. Alright, you hear that?" Sasuke asked. Oh no! Now Sasuke thinks that Naruto is deaf… Plot twist!

"Yeah! Believe it! Are you ready?" Naruto answered. Zabuza's Clone chuckled. For a while… For a long while… Tick tock, good sir, tick tock! I looked at my imaginary watch with my nose scrunched up.

"I-Is there something wrong with him or is he meant to do that?" I whispered to Sakura.

"It's hard to say…" Sakura whispered back.

"You really haven't learned anything, have you? Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja…" Zabuza began as he lifted one of his hands out in front of himself. "When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents…"

Everyone else gasped. I shrugged.

"Is there going to be a back story to this?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"He's Zabuza… The Demon!" Kakashi said dramatically.

"Oh? So I was in your book too, huh?" Zabuza asked. Kakashi turned to face the rest of us. Yay! I love stories!

"Long ago in the Village Hidden in the Mist – also known as Blood Mist Village – Before a student could become a ninja, there was one final test." Kakashi explained. Zabuza looked over at Kakashi.

"Hm? So you know about the graduation exam..." Zabuza said.

Naruto looked at the two opposite to us confused. "What graduation exam?" He asked. Zabuza chuckled. "What's the big deal, anyway? We had graduation tests too." But Zabuza continued to chuckle. Yep. There's defiantly something wrong with him… Naruto glared at Zabuza as his laughter died down.

"Did you have to _kill_ the other students to pass?" Zabuza asked.

"Wha…?" Naruto asked with his eyes widened.

"Imagine young ninja like you eating together, training together, and then comes the final exam when they change the rules… Kill or be killed…! You can't stop while your opponent still breaths. He was your friend – shared your dreams, it's him, or you…!" Zabuza explained a little too dramatically. What? No girls fought? Meanies… Sakura stood there terrified. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Okay I change my mind… I hate listening to ninja stories!

"Ten years ago, in the Village Hidden in the Mist's graduation exam changed. One year before, a dark evil had filled the school with terror." Kakashi explained.

"What's he saying?" Sakura asked no one in particular. "What evil? What made the change? What caused the terror?" She asked.

"Without pause or hesitation, a young boy who was not even a ninja, approached the class and took down over a hundred other students." Kakashi answered.

Zabuza looked up at the sky. "It… It felt so… _Good_!" He said. The 'good' in that sentence was creepy. It was that creepy that it sent chills down my spine. Sasuke and Naruto gasped, their eyes widened as their whole bodies trembled. I was about to scream, but Zabuza was too fast. Sasuke's eyes widened as Zabuza's Clone kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying in the air once again. One of these days, Sasuke is going to think that he is a bird and he can fly… He really needs to stop getting kicked into the air like that. Naruto screamed in shock as Sasuke rolled across the ground and onto his back.

"Dodge, Sasuke! Dodge!" I screamed out to my teammate. But the clone managed to get to Sasuke first and elbowed the raven haired boy in the stomach. Sasuke grunted in pain and then he coughed up some blood. I shivered at the sight of the red liquid. I was paralyzed – unable to move an inch.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed out in worry while Kakashi gasped.

Zabuza's Clone stomped on Sasuke's stomach and clenched tightly onto his blade. Sasuke clenched his teeth together, trying not to scream from the pain, but it was too much for him and he let out a small grunt while some more blood flew out of his mouth. Zabuza's Clone chuckled as he continued to stomp his foot on the Uchiha's stomach.

"You're nothing…" He stated, but Naruto quickly made a hand sign.

"Stop right there!" He yelled at the water clone. _**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **_He called out. Just then, a bunch of Naruto's appeared all around the water clone. Zabuza's Clone looked around a little.

"Oh… Shadow clones… And there's quite a few of them…" The clone said to himself as he lifted his foot off of the raven haired boy. We stared at the shadow clones of Naruto for a while and then they all drew out a kunai knife.

"_Here we go!"_ They chanted as Sasuke managed to make it to his hands and knees. He lifted his head to look at the fight happening right in front of him. All of the Naruto's jumped high into the air – above of the water clone and shot themselves down with their kunai knives held out in front of them. Zabuza's Clone held out his blade and then the Naruto's covered the water clone completely. They struggled, however to stay in that position and were blown away by the giant blade in the Zabuza Clone's hands.

Sakura shook in shock whilst I shook in fear of the blood.

"His skills are too advanced…" Tazuna began. "He's too powerful, there's no way to defeat him…!" The shadow clones all disappeared in a puff of smoke while Naruto slid across the ground, reaching into his backpack for something.

"I'm not giving up! I've still got this!" He yelled out as he threw a giant shuriken. "Sasuke!" He yelled, signaling for the Uchiha to catch the shuriken. Sasuke caught the giant shuriken perfectly and I'm not going to lie, the chances of that happening in real life would be like two-percent. Sasuke gasped as he spun around into a stance where he could throw the shuriken. Zabuza's clone tilted his head to the side as Naruto smirked.

The shuriken unfolded itself (It was somehow folded before) as Sasuke glared at Zabuza's Clone.

"**Demon Wind Shuriken! Windmill of Shadows!"** He yelled out as Sakura stood there admiring her crush. Tazuna had his jaw dropped with his eyes widened and Kakashi also sat there wide-eyed.

"A shuriken?" Zabuza's Clone asked and then he chuckled. "You'll never touch me with that…?"

Sasuke ignored the water clone and shot up into the air and threw the giant shuriken at the Zabuza Clone. But the clone stood there with wide eyes when the shuriken flew past him and towards the real Zabuza.

"So…" Zabuza began. "You passed the clone and aimed for my real body… Smart…" Zabuza caught the Demon Wind Shuriken with his free hand. "… But not smart enough…" He gasped when another giant shuriken flew right at Zabuza. "A second shuriken in the shadow of the first… The Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" We all stood there, watching the second shuriken speed towards Zabuza, but just before it could hit him, and he hopped over it like it was nothing. "I told you – a shuriken can't touch me!" Sakura gasped after he said that. However…

Sasuke smirked as the second shuriken flew past Zabuza and turned into a puff of smoke, revealing Naruto as the shuriken. Tazuna, Kakashi and Sakura gasped. I smirked.

"Way to go you guys!" I yelled out.

Zabuza turned his head around. "What?" He yelled, surprised.

"Eat this!" Naruto yelled as he threw a kunai knife towards Zabuza. And…

* * *

"_Eat this!" Naruto yelled as he threw a kunai knife towards Zabuza. And…_

_**Episode Nine:**_

_**Kakashi: Sharingan Warrior!**_

Zabuza and Kakashi gasped. Kakashi sat there with his eyes widened. The kunai was rushing towards Zabuza, but just before the kunai could pierce through his shoulder, Zabuza quickly moved out of the way, removing his hand from the water sphere that held Kakashi prisoner. But when we got a glimpse of Zabuza's face, he was bleeding just below his eye and the Zabuza Clone was destroyed in the process. I suddenly felt light headed, but I quickly held my ground. Sasuke and Sakura gasped along with the bridge builder. Zabuza turned his body around and looked at Naruto with blood-shot eyes and he spun the shuriken that he had caught earlier with his hand. Naruto was still gliding through the air with his eyes widened.

"I'll destroy you…!" Zabuza growled, but then the shuriken stopped spinning. Blood shot out from where the shuriken stopped and it turned out that Kakashi was the one who stopped the shaken with his fist. I gulped. My knees shook as I stared at the silver haired sensei, who was soaking wet from being in that water prison. Naruto splashed into the water.

Kakashi glared up at Zabuza with his normal eye and with his Sharingan. Zabuza's eyes widened with shock.

Sakura gasped with joy. "Kakashi Sensei!" She squealed. Naruto plopped his head above the water and gasped for air, but he smiled.

"Naruto…" Kakashi began. "That was an excellent plan. You've really grown, haven't you?" Naruto laughed happily at that statement.

"I knew that I couldn't beat him with my shadow clones – that was just to distract him!" Naruto said proudly. "While he fought the clones, I turned into the Demon Wind Shuriken! He didn't know what to do, believe it!"

_All of the Naruto's jumped high into the air – above of the water clone and shot themselves down with their kunai knives held out in front of them. Zabuza's Clone held out his blade and then the Naruto's covered the water clone completely. They struggled, however to stay in that position and were blown away by the giant blade in the Zabuza Clone's hands._

"**I used one of the clones to transform into the shuriken, and when I threw it to Sasuke, it looked like a **_**real**_** shuriken."**

"_Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, signaling for the Uchiha to catch the shuriken. Sasuke caught the giant shuriken perfectly._ _Sasuke gasped as he spun around into a stance where he could throw the shuriken._

"**Sasuke could tell it was me in a second, so he spun around so no one could see that he pulled out his own shuriken. Now there were two shuriken – one was real, one was me!"**

"_**Demon Wind Shuriken! Windmill of Shadows!"**_

"**I hid in the shadow of the real shuriken and my target was the real Zabuza…!"**

"Of course I knew that I couldn't beat Zabuza myself, that wasn't my game plan. I just wanted to get in there and break up his Water Prison. I didn't know that his clone would be wrecked up too! Ha! That was a bonus, believe it!" Naruto explained.

Sasuke smiled. "Don't brag, you just lucked out…" He said to the blonde smartly.

Tazuna gritted his teeth. "The whole thing was just a fluke!" He yelled. Sakura just stared at the bridge builder for a bit and turned to face Kakashi and Zabuza.

"Are you always this loud…?" I mumbled as soft as I could to prevent the man from yelling again.

"I got distracted and lost my grip on the Water Prison…" Zabuza chuckled.

"Don't flatter yourself… You weren't distracted – you were _forced_ to let go." Kakashi corrected his opponent. Zabuza glared at Kakashi with veins popping out of his head. Sasuke bent his knees, prepared to sprint by any sudden movements by Zabuza. Naruto just chuckled.

"Your technique worked on me once…" Kakashi began as the red liquid drip off his hand and into the water. "But, it won't work again." Zabuza just laughed at the one eyed Sharingan man. "So, what's it going to be?"

Sasuke turned to both me and the pinkette. "Sakura, Melody, you know what to do." He said to us. Sakura nodded and she and Sasuke put their arms out in front of the bridge builder. I just stood there, staring at the blood dripping from Kakashi's hand. I gulped and breathed shakily, and I was unable to stop my knees from shaking. Sasuke turned his full attention to me. "Melody…" He began softly. I didn't answer. I was too petrified to. "Melody!" Sasuke raised his voice. He stared at me, confused.

It's dripping right in front of my eyes… I can't help having this fear… But this is Kakashi's fight… There's nothing that I can do anyway… All I can do is watch and hope that nothing goes wrong, and that I don't faint from the sight of the blood.

Kakashi and Zabuza stared at each-other for a while until Zabuza chuckled.

"Huh?" Kakashi's eyes widened and Zabuza folded the shuriken back up and held the shuriken by the handle and pressed down on Kakashi's hand. They both grunted, but Kakashi flicked it away with his hand and it disappeared into the mist. I'm not even going to make a joke about this. I'm too frightened.

Kakashi and Zabuza jumped away from each-other and while he was still in the air, Zabuza made a hand sign. Kakashi's eyes widened.

Sasuke turned his attention away from me to take a close look at Kakashi's red eye. "The Sharingan…!" He gasped.

Zabuza and Kakashi landed on the water and they both began to make hand signs at the same time.

"_**Ushi, Saru, u. Ne, unoshishi, tori, ushi. Uma, tori, ne, tora, inu, tora, mi, ushi, hitsuji, mi, inoshishi, hitsuji, ne…" **_They began to say in unison and now they began to speed up the hand signs. _**"Jin, saru, tori, tatsu, tori, ushi, uma, hitsuji, tora, mi, ne, saru, u, inoshishi, tatsu, hitsuji-"**_ They were silent as they continued to make more hand signs. The water in between the two began to bubble and they soon after made their final hand sign. _**"Tori!"**_ The bubbling water splashed up in the shape of two wingless dragons. _**"Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!"**_

The two serpent-like water dragons crossed in between the gaps that the other water dragon left behind. The two of them soon splashed into one another, causing a tidal wave, sending Naruto in one direction and some of the water came gushing towards our direction. The impact was such a surprise for me that I forgot to hold my ground and I got sent backwards, but a pair of hands caught onto my shoulders. I turned around to see who had caught me and it turned out to be… Sasuke? He stared at me with a frown on his face. Once he knew that I was balanced, he let go of my shoulders.

"Thanks…" I managed to croak out. He continued to frown at me and he stared at me with his emotionless eyes.

"Try to be more careful next time…" He said to me.

I stared at him. "Sorry…" I mumbled. Sasuke just stared at me for a moment and turned his gaze away from me.

Was he mad? Disappointed? I can't read his expression. He probably won't put too much thought into it. After all, we do have a fight going on right now. I'm not sure…

Anyway, the fight continued on with the two water dragons clashing with each-other, biting each-other, and then they clashed with each-other hard and the water rained all over the place, including, me Sasuke, Sakura and the bridge builder. Sasuke just stared at Kakashi along with me, while Sakura guarded the bridge builder with an arm out in front of him. We finally saw Naruto pop his head out of the water and gasped for air with his eyes widened. Kakashi and Zabuza were now having a 'sword' fight. Well, Zabuza was using his giant blade while Kakashi was forced to use his tiny kunai knife, while the water rained down on them like a fountain. They both grunted as they held their weapons against the other, Zabuza's eyes, however were widened in confusion.

I thought I heard something for a moment up in a tree and I looked over there. Nothing…

"Melody, are you alright? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked me. I turned to face her.

"Uh. No, it's nothing…" I lied. Sakura looked at me with a confused expression. I looked back up at the tree.

There's no doubt about it… It's definitely him… I know it!

~Is This For Real?~

Kakashi and Zabuza pressed their weapons against the other, grunting, and then they broke away from each-other. Everyone else gasped. I just stood there, staring…

Zabuza and Kakashi put their weapons away and ran counter-clockwise in a circle and then stopped. They made a hand a hand sign with one hand and they raised the other arm in the air. Zabuza's eyes widened.

"He's not just following… He moves in the same way at the same time…!" Tazuna explained. Sakura looked up at the raven haired boy.

"How's he doing that?" She asked. "How, Sasuke?" Sasuke just stood there in silence, so I figured that I may as well make her happy…

"The visual Jutsu… That's how…" I answered, but I left it there. I don't want to give too much away…

Kakashi and Zabuza glared at each-other for a while. Zabuza and Kakashi moved their raised arm out to the side.

"-Going to do next?" Kakashi asked at random. I smiled slightly, now over seeing that blood. Zabuza's eyes widened. Zabuza and Kakashi made another hand sign.

"It makes you furious, doesn't it?" Kakashi asked Zabuza. They both made another hand sign.

"Ha! All you're doing is copying me – like a monkey!" Zabuza said to the silver haired Jonin.

"You can't beat me with cheap tricks!" They both said in unison. "I'll crush you…!" Zabuza gasped and they both made some quick hand signs

"Once I'm finished with you," Zabuza began. "You'll never open that monkey mouth again!" Zabuza's eyes widened like he had just seen a ghost or something. Kakashi quickly made some quick hand signs while Zabuza was distracted.

"W-What?" Zabuza gasped as water flew in front of Kakashi and rushed towards Zabuza. His eyes widened even more. "Impossible…!" He gasped and the large amount of water carried him away. He screamed as the water crashed into him. I couldn't see what he was doing for a while, but I heard the occasional scream escaping his mouth every so often.

The water crashed through the trees at an amazing speed and the water even splashed over towards me, Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna, but this time I actually focused and held my ground. Once again, the water carried Naruto away, but he ended up finding a loose branch and made it to the shore. The water finally finished crashing into things. Zabuza's back was up against a tree and coughed the water out, but before he had time to dodge, four kunai knives were thrown at Zabuza. Two hit an arm and the other two dug into his legs. He screamed in pain. Kakashi crouched down on the tree branch.

"You're finished…" He said to the Demon of the Mist.

"How…?" Zabuza gasped. "Can you… See into the future…?" He asked.

Kakashi answered, "Yes. This is your last battle… Ever!" He held up a kunai knife. Out of nowhere, some needles shot Zabuza in the neck. Blood shot out. We all gasped. I was covering my eyes with my hands, but I left a gap between my fingers, so then I could see what was going on. Kakashi turned his head to where the needles came from. We all saw somebody in a mask, preventing us from seeing his face. But I know who he is… I know… Haku…

Zabuza fell on the ground, now unconscious from either the loss of blood or the severe pain. Haku chuckled.

"You were right… It was his last battle." He said to Kakashi. We all stared at the masked man. Naruto finally stood up from the water and gasped when he saw Haku and growled when he looked down at Zabuza. The silver haired Jonin jumped down next to Zabuza and stared down at him. He placed two fingers on Zabuza's neck, searching for a pulse.

"No vital signs…" He mumbled and looked up at Haku, who bowed.

"… Thank you…" Haku said. "I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance – to find and take him down."

"By your mask, I see that you're a tracker ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist…" Kakashi observed. Haku stood up.

"Impressive…" Haku said. "You're well informed." Naruto rushed in front of us.

"A tracker…!" He gasped.

"Naruto, you don't even know what that is." Sakura replied. Naruto looked at her. "You missed the lesson on it as usual. Tracker ninja have a special role. Try coming to class some time. When a rouge ninja breaks away from his village, he carries all kinds of secrets with him – the secrets of his people. Trackers are specially trained to hunt down the ninja and eliminate them. That way, the secrets of their people, remain secrets…"

"That's correct." Haku said to the pinkette. "I'm a member of the elite tracking unit of the Village Hidden in the Mist. It was my duty to stop Zabuza…" I mentally snickered. He said 'duty'. A moment of silence began as we all stared at Haku.

Naruto broke that silence by running towards Haku. He stared at him and growled. He then looked at Zabuza with jealousy and then back to Haku, growling even louder.

"What is this?" He yelled. "Who do you think you are?" He began to pant heavily. Haku just stared at him. "Did you hear me?" Kakashi stood up and turned to Naruto.

"Easy, Naruto. He's not our enemy…" He said to the blonde Genin.

Naruto turned to Kakashi and gasped. "That's not the point; did you see what he did just like _that_? Zabuza was huge and powerful – like some kind of monster! And this kid –who's no bigger than me – he brought down Zabuza with one move, like it was nothing! I mean… What does that make us? We're just fumbling around! We don't know anything! How can I accept that?" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs. Kakashi walked over to him.

"Well, even if you don't accept it…" Kakashi began. "Still, it did happen, Naruto." Kakashi ruffled Naruto's blonde hair. "In this world, there are kids younger than you… And yet, stronger than me…" Sasuke tensed up at that statement. I think that there was I lesson in that lecture.

Haku teleported from the tree down to Zabuza and pulled him over his shoulder.

"Your struggle is over…" He said to all of us. "For now, I must deal with the remains… There are many secrets in this body; they must not be allowed to get into the wrong hands…" Haku made a sign. "Please excuse me… Farewell." Wind surrounded Haku and he disappeared like magic. Naruto gasped.

"He disappeared…!" He said. Isn't that what I just said? Kakashi pulled his headband back over his Sharingan eye with a sigh. Naruto ran over to the tree.

"He's gone, Naruto…" Kakashi said to his student. "Let it go." Naruto just growled and landed on his knees. He began to punch the ground over and over.

"What are we doing here? We're nothing! I can't believe it!" He growled. I raised my eyebrows. Somehow with Naruto, 'can't' and 'believe it' don't seem to fit right in the same sentence… He grunted as he continued to punch the ground.

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly. Kakashi walked over to Naruto and grabbed his arm.

"As ninja, the things that we encounter are never easy… Save your anger for the next enemy." He advised. Naruto stopped punching the grass and looked down. Kakashi turned to us.

"We haven't completed out mission yet. We still have to get the bridge builder to his bridge."

Tazuna laughed as he adjusted his hat. "Sorry I caused all of this trouble for you! But you can rest at my house when we get to the village!" He said.

"Alright! Let's get a move on!" Kakashi called to us. The rest of them began to walk, but I still couldn't move. I remembered all of blood that I saw during that fight. I stared as Kakashi grunted when he took a few more steps. He collapsed on the ground. Everyone else gasped. Naruto rushed to Kakashi's side, soon followed by Sasuke, Sakura and the bridge builder. I still didn't move. All I could do was stare at all of them.

"W-What happened?" Sakura asked.

"Kakashi Sensei…" Naruto said to the unconscious figure. "Kakashi Sensei!" He screamed. I gulped. I have been trying for far too long. My vision became blurry. I must've hit that tree harder than what I thought. And soon… Everything went black…

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(SPECIAL) Sasuke's POV:**_

We heard another thud soon after Kakashi had collapsed. We all turned around. Melody fainted? Naruto rushed over to her.

"Melody! Melody, are you alright?" He yelled as he shook her shoulders. "Darn it…!" He growled. "Now both of them are out!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Sakura said to the idiot.

"All we have to do is carry them back to my house." Tazuna added.

I walked over to Naruto and Melody.

"S-Sasuke…?" Sakura wondered softly. I crouched down with my arms held out behind me.

"Put her on my back." I said to Naruto. He just stared at me. "I said to put her on my back, loser. I think that she would like to wake up at some place that isn't in the middle of nowhere." Naruto nodded and placed her gently on my back and with her arms wrapped around my neck. I adjusted her to a comfortable position and began walking.

"Sakura, Naruto," I began. "Help Kakashi Sensei out until we get to Tazuna's place."

"R-Right, Sasuke." Sakura replied as she placed one of Kakashi's arms over her shoulder. Naruto quickly rushed over to him and put the other arm over his shoulder.

"Alright," Naruto began. "Let's get going." Naruto grunted. We all began to walk to where the bridge builder was leading us to. Naruto occasionally looked over his shoulder to look back at me and Melody. I just sent him a glare every time and he would usually send one back to me and look away from us.

I looked at Melody from the corner of my eye as she breathed softly on the back of my neck. She reminds me so much of her… But, that is not possible. She can't be the girl I knew before. But… Then again, they do look alike and their personalities are similar. There is a small chance after all…

_**Naruto and Melody Voice-Over:**_

_(N) What do we do? What do we do? Kakashi Sensei is out cold, we found out that Melody has an enormous fear of blood-_

_(M) What-What are you talking about? I don't remember that!_

_(N) And Gato's men are sure to come looking for us, so how are we going to fight them by ourselves?_

_(M) By climbing trees of course!_

_(N) It sounds a little weird to me, but if Kakashi Sensei says it'll work, than it will have to!_

_(M) But, the only thing I don't get is why Sasuke won't stop staring…_

_(N) Looks like someone's got a crush…!_

_(M) WHAT?_

_(N/M) Next time: The Forest of Chakra!_

_(N) I'll be kicking butt again!_

_(M) Don't we mean… Chatora…?_

_(N) Put a sock in it!_

_**SonicShaymin2: I'M BACK YOU GUYS!**_

_**Naruto: Gah! Where'd you come from?!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: A desert where there is a deadly bandit with long hair and a flying animal companion…!**_

_**Melody: That sounds familiar…**_

_**Sakura: Aren't you supposed to be unconscious?**_

_**Melody: But it's boring just lying here…**_

_**Sasuke: You have to do it…**_

_**Melody: (Sighs) Fine…**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Sorry about not updating this story in a while… School has been real pain this week. We have been too busy; also, I have been working on my other Naruto story, Howling at the Moon. But good news is that the next chapter is the tree climbing episode! YAY!**_

_**Melody and Kakashi: Do we still have to lie down like this?**_

_**SonicShaymin2, Naruto and Sakura: YES!**_

_**Melody and Kakashi: (Groans)**_

_**Sasuke: See you in the next chapter…**_

_**SonicShaymin2: That's my line!**_

_**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**_


	7. The Forest of Chakra

_**SonicShaymin2: Here's the next chapter!**_

_**Melody: WE GET TO CLIMB TREES!**_

_**Naruto: It feels like it's been so long…!**_

_**Melody: WE GET TO CLIMB TREES!**_

_**Sakura: But it's here!**_

_**Melody: WE GET TO CLIMB TREES!**_

_**Sasuke: We do not own Naruto. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and all other related products are all owned by Misashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo.**_

_**Melody: WE GET TO CLIMB TREES! **_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**Shuri Kuran – Hahaha! I totally forgot about him! I wasn't thinking in the first chapter… He did say that his paws were extra soft! I'll try to think next time! Thanks for the review! Very appreciated!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

I lay on my side, looking away from where the door was. What happened? The last thing I remember was… The fight against Zabuza…! That's right! Did I faint? I don't know… It's all a blur to me. It must've been the blood… I must've fainted from all of the blood that was involved in the fight. Maybe next time… Maybe I'll be more helpful.

I could smell salt water. I breathed it in… Ah… The sweet smell of salt water… I was interrupted by a groan… Kakashi Sensei? That's right… He collapsed after the battle… I then heard some footsteps.

"Waking up, huh?" A woman asked. "Are you alright?" She's Tazuna's daughter and um… Inari's mother. That's right. I'm pretty sure that her name is Tsunami.

"I've been better… It'll be a week before I can move…!" Kakashi grunted "Normally…" He finished.

"See?" Tsunami said. "It's better if you don't move, so just lie down…"

Kakashi sighed. "Right…" He said in defeat and then grunted again. I heard some more footsteps. It must be the others… I heard a gasp that sounded like it was coming from Naruto.

"Look, the sensei's coming around…!" He said in amazement.

I heard some footsteps coming closer.

"Listen, sensei, your Sharingan is amazing and everything, but if it puts that much strain on you… Maybe it's not worth it…" Sakura advised.

"Sorry…" Kakashi replied. I looked at the others from the corner of my eye.

"Huh," Tazuna began as he rubbed his face with a cloth. "Well, he did take down one of the most powerful ninja assassins, so we'll be safe for a while."

"Right, but… That boy with the mask… What about him…?" Sakura asked with a finger on a chin.

"He's from the elite tracking unit from the Village Hidden in the Mist…" Kakashi answered. "Those masks are only worn by the most elite Shinobi…"

"ANBU…" I began as I turned to the others.

"Melody…!" Naruto gasped. I nodded.

"The most elite Shinobi… Are the ANBU Black Ops, right?" I asked. Kakashi nodded.

"That's right. They are the ANBU Black Ops, but they are also known as the 'inferno squad.' They destroy all traces of a rouge ninja's corpse. The Shinobi's body contains many secrets, Ninjutsu, Chakra, special medicines used on his body – these are the secrets of his village. If his enemies find them, his people will be in grave danger…" Kakashi answered. "For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, he would try to analyze my Sharingan. In the worst case, my entire Jutsu could be stolen and used against our home village. It is the sacred duty of the Shinobi trackers to prevent this – to keep the village's secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village, the trackers hunt him down – eliminate him and obliterate every trace of his existence. That's their specialty." Kakashi trailed off and didn't say anything else for a while.

_**No POV: (Elsewhere)**_

Haku leaned over the unconscious body of Zabuza, mumbling to himself.

"First, I'll cut the bandage and drain some of the blood…" He said as he picked up a tool and slowly made it make its way towards Zabuza, but a hand shot out and grabbed tightly onto Haku's wrist. He gasped in surprise. Zabuza's eyes opened and his spare hand pulled down the bottom of his bandages that made it look like a mask.

"That's enough!" Zabuza said. "I'll do it!"

"So…" Haku began as he stared down at Zabuza. "You've already come back to life…" Zabuza grunted as he sat up.

"Damn it!" He said. "You're brutal…" He pulled out one of the needles from his neck. "Haku…!"

"You're the one who's brutal, Zabuza." Haku corrected. "If you keep pulling them out like that, you really will be finished." Haku said as Zabuza continued to pull the needles out. Zabuza grunted and looked at Haku.

"How long are you planning on wearing that phony mask?" He asked. "Take it off!"

"I have good memories of this mask…" Haku placed a hand on the ANBU mask. "And it was quite useful for tricking that ninja." Haku took the mask off, revealing his innocent brown eyes. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have been dead by now. That much is certain."

"Putting me in a temporary death state is fine, but not through the pressure points in my neck." Zabuza said as he pulled his mask back up. "Cruel as usual… I think you enjoy it!"

Haku smiled. "It was the only sure way. Then I wouldn't want to mark up your flawless body, you'd complain about that even more." He joked. "The neck is more vulnerable, there's no layer of muscle, so I can go straight into the pressure points." Zabuza tried to stand up but he failed. "There's no point trying to move, you'll be numb for a week. Although, if you're as stubborn as usual, you'll probably be moving in half of the time."

"You're so innocent… And you're clever at the same time – rare combination. That's why I keep you around." Zabuza said.

Haku laughed. "I'm still a kid, what else would you expect?" He stood up. "The mist has cleared…" Zabuza grunted. Haku faced him. "Next time… Will you be alright?"

"Next time… I'll see right through his Sharingan…!" Zabuza answered.

_**Episode Ten:**_

_**The Forest of Chakra!**_

_**Melody's POV:**_

Kakashi had his head resting on one of his hands in deep thought and concentration. Well, until he was interrupted by Naruto of course.

"Hey are you okay, sensei?" The blonde haired knuckle-head ninja asked. Kakashi looked over at him.

"Hm? Yeah, to finish what I was saying… Tracker ninja deal with the body immediately on the spot, so there's no room for error." Kakashi replied.

"Is that really important?" Sakura asked.

"Think about it…" Kakashi said. "Do you remember what that tracker ninja did with Zabuza's body?"

"We don't know what he did." Sakura answered "I mean… I guess he took it away somewhere."

"Exactly… But why? He should've worked on Zabuza right there, as quickly as possible." Kakashi wondered. "Think of the weapons he used for the take down. Do you remember what they were?"

"Throwing needles…" Sasuke said. His eyes widened. "No way…!"

"Exactly. None of it adds up…" Kakashi replied. Naruto held his head in thought.

"What are you all yammering about?" Tazuna spoke up. "You demolished that assassin."

"Here's the truth…" Kakashi said. "Zabuza's still alive." Tazuna, Sakura and Naruto screamed loud enough to wake up the dead at the statement while Tsunami gasped is shock.

"But we saw his body! Believe it!" Naruto shouted.

"Kakashi Sensei," Sakura began. "You checked him yourself – you said that his heart stopped!"

"His heart _did_ stop." Kakashi replied. "But, that was just a temporary state to simulate death. The weapons that tracker used are called Senbon. They can pierce deeply, but rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ – not in the neck. They're modified from needles used for medical treatments like acupuncture. Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body, causing the heart to stop temporary while keeping the body alive is an easy matter for them… First, he carried Zabuza's body away, even though it's much heavier than he is. Second, he used Senbon – which have a precise affect, but rarely kill. From these two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to _destroy _Zabuza – he was trying to _save_ him." He explained.

"Come on," Tazuna said. "You're over-thinking this, aren't you?"

"Encountering suspicion, the ninja prepares quickly. Hesitation leads to disaster. Every Shinobi knows this saying." Kakashi replied. Naruto shook with excitement with a smile on his face. He chuckled lightly. I smiled. Naruto's energy never ceases to amaze me. There was a moment of silence until Sakura spoke up.

"Sensei, you said 'prepare quickly'. But how can we do that when you can barely move?" She asked. Kakashi chuckled at this. "Huh?" She asked confused.

"I can still train you…" Kakashi said.

"Hold on!" Sakura shouted. "A little last minute training won't make us strong enough to face Zabuza. You could barely defeat him, even with your Sharingan! We have to be reasonable about this!"

"Sakura… Why was I able to beat Zabuza? Because… You all helped me. You've grown…" Kakashi replied. He looked over at Naruto. "Naruto!" He caught Naruto's attention. "You've grown the most." He smiled. Naruto also smiled. Sakura glanced over at the blonde.

"So you've noticed Kakashi Sensei? Now things are going to get better. Believe it!" Naruto replied. I couldn't help but to grin at him.

"I don't believe it!" A voice interrupted. "And nothing's going to be good…!" We all spun around to see the small figure that had just walked into the room. Inari…

Naruto pointed at the child. "Who are you!" He yelled.

"Ah! Inari, where've you been?" Tazuna asked as he spread his arms out in front of him. Inari ran into Tazuna's arms.

"Welcome back, grandpa!" He greeted. Tsunami walked over to him with her hands on her hips.

"Inari, that was very rude! These are ninja who helped your grandpa and brought him here safely."

Tazuna patted the top of Inari's hat. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm rude to them too." He laughed. Inari turned to his mother.

"Mom, don't you see, these people are going to die! Gato and his men will come back and wipe them out!" Inari protested. Naruto quickly made his way to his feet.

"What did you say, brat?" He yelled. I sweat-dropped as I stared at the blonde. "Listen up, do you know what a super ninja is? Well that's me, only a lot better! I'm going to be Hokage. This Gato or Blato or whatever he's called is no match for a real hero like me!" He boasted.

"There's no such thing as a hero…" Inari looked up at Naruto. "You're just full of stupid ideas!"

There was a moment of silence once again and I could literally hear the crickets chirping. "What'd you say?" Naruto yelled. He tried to run towards Inari and he looked like he wanted to kill the child. (I think that it was because Inari said 'I don't believe it,' but that's just me.) Sakura quickly got up and held Naruto back.

"Naruto, calm down!" She shouted.

"If you want to stay alive, you should g back where you came from." Inari suggested as he began to walk away.

"Inari, wait. Where are you going?" Tazuna asked as Inari opened the sliding doors.

"To look out at the ocean." Inari answered. "I want to be alone!" And with that, Inari disappeared out of our sights, leaving all of us staring at him and a growling Naruto. Tazuna turned to Naruto.

"Sorry about that." He apologized.

When Sakura let go of Naruto, he took the chance to stomp away.

"Naruto, you better not make things worse…!" Sakura warned.

"I'm not going to." Naruto replied. "I just want to talk to him." Naruto walked out of the room.

I sat up and sighed sadly. Why does the sight of blood always have to creep me out?

"Melody, you shouldn't be trying to sit up yet." Sakura advised.

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt or anything." I replied. I looked over at Sasuke, who I noticed was sneaking glances at me. Oh. Of course. It takes time to impress the Uchiha. I must have disappointed him. By fainting and all of that. All I know is that it must've been Naruto who carried me here. Prince Sasuke has his own things to worry about and Princess Sakura doesn't know me that well.

"Then how come-"

"I'll tell you later…" I sighed. Sakura gave me a questioning look, but I managed to avoid the question. Thank Kami… **(1)**

~Is This For Real?~

"Alright," Kakashi began. "Training starts now." And starting from now _someone_ is on crutches. I'm not going to mention any names but… Kakashi!

"Right!" Naruto answered.

"First," Kakashi held up one finger. "We'll begin with the review of Chakra – the ninja's basic source of power. Understanding Chakra is essential."

"We know that…" Sasuke said to the sensei.

"Right. A long time ago we learned about… Uh… Chatora?" Naruto agreed. I snickered, but tried to hold in my laugh. Kakashi lowered his head.

"Chakra…" He corrected, busting Naruto's ego. "Go ahead Sakura…" He said. Sakura placed her hands on her hips.

"Alright, Naruto, I'll explain it simply so you can understand." Sakura said. She pulled out a scroll from out of nowhere.

"Chakra is the elemental life energy a ninja uses in Jutsu. It's the source of all his power. Now this energy has two forms. Physical energy which exists in all of the cells in the body working together and spiritual energy. The primal source of power which is intensified through training and experience. As you see, these two types of Chakra must be drawn out and fought together in order to perform Jutsu. Notice the interplay between physical and spiritual power – that's the key. Finally, hand signs focus and unleash Chakra."

"Right on all points. Iruka Sensei really did have some excellent students." Kakashi complimented. Sakura smiled with a face of glory.

I raised an eyebrow. I knew what it all meant, but the pictures made no sense.

First, there are a bunch of ninja on fire. Then there is a man with red hair on his chest. The ninja are then doing some training for like… Poll-vaulting? Then a Pepsi logo. Then the man from the second picture got a Pepsi tattoo on his chest and shaved his hair off. The final picture was just the man breathing fire. No big deal…

"What's the big deal about all of these complicated explanations?" Naruto complained. "The whole point is to learn the Jutsu, isn't it?" I looked at the blonde with my eyes widened. What the heck was complicated about that? There is no easier way to put it. Sakura did her best to explain it simply, but apparently you have no clue… I shook my head.

"Naruto's right for once… Where're already using Chakra energy in our Jutsu." Sasuke agreed. Behold! Sasuke Uchiha is wrong for once. Well… Kind of… I don't know. I don't know how to even explain Sasuke anymore; I can't even make a joke about him… I'm too depressed to…

"No! You have not mastered this power! You've barely scratched the surface of it." Kakashi disagreed.

"What do you mean?" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs. I covered my ringing ears.

"Calm down, Naruto. My ears are present in the forest right now." I said to the blonde.

"Yes. Calm down and listen. It's just like Sakura said. You have to draw on physical and spiritual energies and combine them within yourself. But, how do you do that? Each Jutsu requires different types of Chakra in different proportions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Up till now, you've just guessed at the proportions – hoping that they would come out right. Even if you produce a lot of Chakra, unless you can balance and control it, it's all worthless. The Jutsu won't work at all or it will just be a joke. You waste so much energy that way, then you're out of Chakra and you can't fight at all. You're just a target." The silver-haired Jonin explained.

"Uh… So how do we change that?" Naruto asked as he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling.

"Train so hard that controlling your Chakra becomes second nature. To achieve this goal, you must be ready to put your life on the line." Kakashi replied. We all stared at Kakashi.

"What do we have to do?" Sakura asked. Kakashi chuckled.

"Climb a tree." I said.

"Climb a-" Kakashi stared at me. "…Tree… How did you know?" He asked curiously. I chuckled.

"Lucky guess." I lied. I hate lying, but I guess it's not too different from being sarcastic… Kakashi continued to explain what to do as the others gave the two of us the 'Are you serious?' look.

"But the only catch is-"

"No hands!" I interrupted him. I quickly covered my mouth and chuckled.

"No hand-" Kakashi stared at me wide-eyed. "How-"

"Lucky guess! It would be too easy if we were allowed to use our hands!" I chuckled. Naruto and Sakura stared at me while Sasuke gave me what seemed to be a death glare. What did I ever do to you, dude?

"You two can't be serious…" Sakura groaned.

"Am I?' Kakashi and I asked in unison. Kakashi glanced at me.

"No, please continue. Don't worry about me. Give these guys a demonstration." I said as I flicked my hand, looking like I was trying to swat away one of Shino's insects. Kakashi sighed and made a hand sign. I leaned over to Naruto.

"Bet you one-hundred ryo that he can do it without falling." I whispered. Don't judge me! I need the cash. I can't buy a darn thing with all of this money from my world.

"Deal." Naruto whispered back to me.

Kakashi began to walk over to a nearby tree on his crutches and soon enough, he was climbing. Sakura and Naruto gasped and I smirked. Sasuke was being… Sasuke. He hardly reacts to anything. Naruto began to chew his finger-nails in worry that I would win the bet.

"I can't believe it…!" Naruto gasped. Did Naruto just say that he can't believe it? Okay, who is he and what has he done with the real Naruto?

"He's climbing straight up without even breaking a sweat!" Sakura said, surprised. "And he's only using his feet!"

Kakashi was now standing upside down from a branch. "Well, you get the idea. Focus the Chakra towards the soles of your feet and use it to connect to the tree. This is one way to apply the power of Chakra." Kakashi explained. I smirked. I can't wait until I finally get to climb the tree and annoy the boys. I can barely contain myself. Plus, I get one-hundred ryo. Score.

"Wait a minute!" Sakura called out to Kakashi. "That's a nice trick, but how does it help us fight Zabuza?"

"It's the only way to fight him, Sakura. That's the entire goal of this training. First, you'll learn how to draw a precise amount of Chakra to a precise point in your body. This is difficult, even for advanced ninja. This type of climbing requires a subtle mix of physical and spiritual energy and the bottoms of the feet are the most difficult points to focus Chakra." Kakashi explained to us. "Are you getting the picture? If you can master this, you can master any Jutsu. Well, theoretically." Great… That means that if we are in an intense battle and we try to do a Jutsu, we have a chance of failing if we haven't practiced it that much. Then again, Naruto and I mastered a difficult Jutsu each, so I shouldn't be complaining.

"The second point is to learn to maintain your Chakra levels. When a ninja is focused in battle it's even harder to control and maintain his Chakra levels – a deadly mistake. To avoid this, maintaining Chakra must become second nature – effortless. Well, I can talk about this all day, but that won't advance your skill, will it? You'll need to apply the power of Chakra through training." Kakashi held out four kunai and threw them down to us. They landed in the ground right in front of us. We all looked down at the kunai.

"Use the kunai knife to mark the tree at the highest point you can climb – without using your hands. Then try to get past that mark the next time and the next… At first you'll need to run at the tree so then your momentum can take you as high as possible, until you get used to it." Kakashi explained. "Ready…?" We all picked up our kunai knives.

"I'm more than ready, this is going to be no sweat all the way, believe it!" I sweat-dropped at Naruto's statement. Does he have to make himself look like a fool all of the time? "Remember what you said sensei, I'm the one who's grown the most!"

"You're certainly the one who talks the most…" Kakashi mumbled. "Now get focused and do it!" Naruto frowned and we all made our hand signs, focusing the Chakra (Not to be mistaken with Chatora) to the bottoms of our feet. Words of wisdom, Kakashi Sensei…

I felt the Chakra flow to the soles of my feet. I cleared all of my thoughts, but I focused my mind on the tree in front of me.

"I've got it!" Naruto yelled. "Charge!" We all ran towards the tree in front of us. I tried to ignore Naruto as best as I could. It was difficult, but being me, I managed to ignore the blonde.

Naruto tried to climb the tree, but he slid back down onto his back within the first two steps. He held his head in pain.

Sasuke managed to make it fairly high, though when he took a step on a certain part of the tree, it broke a little. Just before he fell down, Sasuke marked the tree with his kunai knife and did a back-flip down to the ground perfectly. Show off… He stared at the spot where he had marked the tree. Not that he needed to mark it or anything. His foot marked it for him. One day, Sasuke is going to look back on his life and say, "Hey, thanks foot! I love you!" Who knows, he might lose a foot one day. Sasuke glanced over at Naruto, who was rolling around frantically on the ground with a large bump on the top of his head.

"That's about what I expected from Sasuke. And… Naruto…" Kakashi mumbled to himself. While no one was looking, Sakura and I made it to the first branch of our tree. I'll let you in on a little secret. Every morning I woke up, preparing for this day. I climbed some trees while Naruto was either asleep or goofing off. There, I said it! Are you happy now universe! I swear when I thought that I heard a 'yes' but I was told that I have a wild imagination…

"Hey, this is fun!" Sakura called out to the guys with her legs hanging off the tree. I smirked as the boys looked over at us with shock and jealously written all over their faces.

"Sakura? Melody?" Naruto gasped. Sakura laughed.

"Not that difficult, you two…" I said as I hung around on the bottom of a branch with my arms folded. It really isn't…

"Well," Kakashi began. "It looks like the two female members of the squad are the most advanced at Chakra control…" He observed. Sakura and I smiled at each-other and then looked back at the two boys. Naruto stood up.

"Yeah! Well done Sakura and Melody! I always knew that you two were amazing, believe it!" Naruto called out to us, but then he looked down in despair.

Sasuke looked away and was suddenly interested in the ground as he grumbled, "Whatever…" And some other things that I didn't understand. I frowned. What a cranky-bum. He should really book in for an appointment for anger management classes. Hearing Sasuke being mad, Sakura's ego was crushed and this time it was her turn to look down in despair. I shook my head. This is why I don't have a crush on the most obnoxious guy in the entire ninja world…

"Well, Sakura not only knows how to understand Chakra, but she also knows how to control and maintain it as well. And Melody is new to ninja training, and yet she's already mastered maintaining Chakra. We spoke about someone becoming Hokage one day, didn't we? It seems like Sakura and Melody's got the best chance at that, don't you agree? And as for the great Uchiha clan… Maybe they're not so great after all…" Kakashi said.

"Shut up Sensei. You talk too much!" Sakura called out to Kakashi as she pointed a finger at him. She then pouted as she looked down at the raven-haired boy. Sasuke and Naruto glanced over at each-other. Pft. Who am I kidding? They practically sent the death glare to one another saying "You've won a one-way ticket to hell!"

"All right!" Naruto said. "First, I'll match Sasuke. Then I'm going all the way to the top! Believe it!" I chuckled as I sat on the top of the branch. I glanced over to a tree nearby and saw Inari peeking over at the two boys. I frowned as Inari left. I know that he has stuff on his mind, but he can at least watch us climb trees… Jerk.

_**No POV: (Elsewhere)**_

Haku sat beside the bed where Zabuza lay, staring down at him. The door behind him soon opened, revealing Gato and his men. Haku turned around to face them.

"Some Jonin…" Gato began. "The unbeatable ninja just got beat – limping back home like some pathetic has-been. _Demon _of the Hidden Mist…" Gato chuckled. "More like _coward _of the Hidden Mist!"

At that statement Haku quickly stood up, hands clenched and on his sides. The two men guarding Gato prepared their swords just in case force was needed.

"Hang on a minute…" Gato said as he walked past his two men over to the bed where Zabuza lay. "Alright, let's see what you have to say for this fiasco. And don't play 'possum,' I know you can talk." Gato said as his hand reached over to Zabuza, until a hand grabbed tightly onto his wrist – it was Haku's hand! Gato gasped in shock at the sudden action and glared at Haku.

"Keep your filthy hands off of him…!" He warned as he clenched Gato's wrist even tighter.

"You're going to break it…!" Gato screamed at Haku. The two guards behind him grew out their swords and charged at Haku. Haku let go of Gato's wrist and grabbed onto the swords and held them to the guards' throats. The two guards stared in surprise at Haku.

"Don't push me…" Haku warned. "I'm in a really foul mood…" The two swords were thrown away and the three other men stomped over to the door. Gato growled.

"One chance! If you fail this time, I'll cut you off and there'll be no one left to cover for you!" Gato and his men turned around and left the room. "Let's go…!" He growled, the door slamming behind them. Once he knew that they were gone, Haku sat back down on the stool.

"Haku…" Zabuza began. "That wasn't necessary…" He said as he clenched the kunai knife that was hidden under the blankets.

"Perhaps," Haku replied in his kind voice. "But it's too early to take out Gato. He's our best cover… Think about it. The murders would draw their attention. Then they'll be after us again. We need restraint." Haku said, referring to the ANBU Black Ops. Zabuza sighed in defeat.

"Right…" He replied as he closed his eyes.

_**Melody's POV:**_

Later, Naruto tried to run up the tree once again, even though he didn't get much further than what seemed to be last five-hundred and fifty times. Sasuke was still getting further – not by much though – but he keeps on putting too much Chakra into his efforts. He panted heavily as he leaned on one knee. Sakura also panted heavily as she lay down near the tree that she was climbing and glanced over at the two boys and confusion while I jumped down from another branch that I made it to.

"OW…!" Naruto grunted and then he looked behind him to see the progress that he had made of climbing the tree. (The bruise on his head even had bruises! Ha!) Naruto stood up and stomped his foot on the ground as he let out a frustrated groan. Naruto turned to me and opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly cut him off.

"Naruto," I whispered with a sigh. "If you want advice on this tree climbing thing, then go ask Sakura how to do it…"

"But-" He began until I cut him off again.

"You _do_ have a crush on her, don't you?" I asked. Naruto nodded slightly. "Then this is your chance to finally talk to her. I can give you advice anytime, but don't you want to get on Sakura's good side? I'm sure that she will give you some. You'll understand it better if you talk to her. She's the best Chakra controller on this squad. So, go ahead."

Naruto stared at me with an unsure look on his face, but eventually smiled.

"Alright, I'll go to Sakura for advice then…" Naruto turned around. "… Glad I thought off it." He began to walk away over to Sakura. I frowned. _My_ idea, Naruto! _Mine!_ Oh well, I guess I can't complain… In a way, he thought of it first. I shrugged and faced the tree, ready to climb again.

I glanced around; getting the feeling that someone – who wasn't Kakashi Sensei – was looking at me… I looked around and eventually found out that it was the Uchiha Prince.

"What?" I asked him with a frown. "Is there something on my damn face?"

Sasuke glared at me and flung his head to face… Um… A lot of trees? I looked back at my own tree with a pout. Sasuke looks at me like I had just come out of the Devil's Toilet or something… **(2) **I hope he gets dropped into that death hole one day. I hope he says to me that he's sorry. Sasuke is mean to me… Sasuke shouldn't be grumpy. After all… If he isn't happy about climbing trees, I'm not sure how to. Maybe if I knew a revival Jutsu or something, then I could bring his entire clan. Happy mini Sasuke… Activate!

But… Why is Sasuke staring at me like this? He's never been interested in me before… So why start now…? He's been acting weird ever since… Oh. Now I get it… So that's how he wants to play it…

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto and Melody Voice-over)**_

_**(Naruto) That boy… Inari… He's always off by himself crying – always looking out at the ocean. Tears running down his face, always alone… What's all of that crying going to do anyway? I mean, what could make him that sad anyway?**_

_**(Melody) You don't know what sort of a life he has gone through… But… I think we'll find out soon, for sure.**_

_**(Naruto) I guess you're right…**_

_**(Naruto/Melody) Next time…: The Land Where a Hero once lived…**_

_**(Naruto) Watch me get even stronger! Believe it!**_

_**(Alternate Voice-over)**_

_**(Melody) What's Sasuke's deal anyway? Can't he mind his own business instead of giving me the death glare? It's like breathing is a crime… Anyway… I've got to find out what's wrong with him. And before things start to really heat up too! Sasuke, it's time that you tell me what in the heck's wrong with you!**_

_**Next time…: The Land Where a Hero Once Lived…**_

_**(EXTRA)**_

"Naruto, you can give me my money now." Melody said as she held out her hand.

Naruto pouted. He checked his trusty frog wallet and peered into it. Nothing. Not a penny to give. He had only agreed to it so then he can get some cash to buy ramen. He never thought that he would actually lose.

"Great…!" He muttered under his breath.

"What?" Melody gasped. "Naruto, you don't have any ryo to owe? I'm ashamed of you." Though, she really shouldn't be the one to talk. She didn't have anything either.

"What's going to happen now?" Naruto asked. Melody smiled.

"You'll be my training dummy!" She announced. Naruto's eyes went wide.

"What?" He screamed. "You've got to be kidding me!" Melody shook her head.

"Nope. Now hold still, Naruto. I have to test out my Jutsu on an actual ninja." Melody said as she held up a fist.

"How long do I have to do this?" Naruto asked worryingly.

"Until I'm satisfied that it's worth a hundred ryo!" Melody answered cheerfully.

"Oh… Good…" Naruto said sarcastically.

_**A/N:**_

_**On (1) the word 'Kami' means 'a kind of god.' It's Japanese… I don't know…**_

_**For those of you who don't know, (2) the Devil's Toilet is off of Dragon Ball. It was in the Baba Saga. Yamcha and Goku fought against some of the fighters in there and the Toilet is pure acid. If they got a drop of it on them, they would be… GONE! *Dun… Dun… DUN!***_

_**Sonicshaymin2: So did you like the chapter?**_

_**Melody: That's it? That's all that the chapter has to it?**_

_**Sonicshaymin2: Hey, at least I have added some of my own stuff into it, plus two extras.**_

_**Melody: Why can't you add another episode to it? I want to get on with it!**_

_**Sonicshaymin2: Well, I won't be able to post many more chapters on for the rest of the month. HOLIDAY!**_

_**Naruto: Oh! So while we fight dangerous ninja, you get a holiday? Talk about really fair!**_

_**Sonicshaymin2: Yep! It's completely fair. Haku, since you are one of my favourites in this saga, you may do the honours!**_

_**Haku: Please… Review! It will be very much appreciated.**_

_**Sonicshaymin2: I couldn't have said it better myself!**_


	8. The Land Where a Hero Once Lived!

_**Sonicshaymin2: Another chapter!**_

_**Sasuke: …**_

_**Sakura: …**_

_**Naruto: …**_

_**Melody: …**_

_**Kakashi: …**_

_**Sonicshaymin2: *Sighs* Let's get on with this…**_

_**Sakura: We do not own Naruto. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and all related products are owned by Misashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. Please support the official releases…**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**Oathkeeper16 – It's unbelievable that the high and mighty Melody has a fear of blood, isn't it? But I can't make a character as perfect as possible. So instead, I made her a close second. I just found out that Tsunade had that same fear. Now I just feel like an idiot... I wanted SASUKE-KUN! To have a part in this, and soon I'm going to get a role for SAKURA-CHAN! Thanks for the support!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

Sakura and I were on the bridge-to-be, because Kakashi said that we were the best. It's good to be loved. To tell you the truth, I would've liked to be with the boys and tease them, but I don't think that I'm going to feel comfortable around Sasuke. Besides, once you get to know her, Sakura is actually a cool person.

Sakura let out a loud yawn. I know what she's feeling like right now. We had to get up super early this morning just to get here, and it is as boring as dirt balls…

"Are you two always this lazy?" Tazuna asked as he walked over to the two of us. I pouted. We not long ago fought Zabuza and we climbed trees! We are _never _lazy!

"Where's that weird blond kid and the one with the attitude?"

"They're training." Sakura explained.

"They're climbing trees." I added.

"Too tough for you two girls?" Tazuna asked.

I laughed hysterically and then made a sudden stop. "Don't make me laugh…!" I warned.

"Kakashi Sensei sent the two of us here because we're the best and we're supposed to guard you." Sakura explained.

"You're joking…" Tazuna said to us. "You two – the best? In your dreams."

Sakura and I both had veins popping out of our heads. I wanted to punch him so bad…! He's just… So rude! Once this is over, I'm going to hunt down his kind of rude jerks and jab them all in the fore-head.

Just then, one of Tazuna's friends – Giichi – walked over.

"Tazuna!" He called. "I uh… Need to talk to you."

Tazuna turned around to face his friend. "Eh? What about?"

"Uh… The thing is… I've been thinking a lot about the bridge… And I decided – I've pushed my luck far enough. I want out!" Giichi explained. Tazuna's eyes widened.

"Now, you're going to leave me just like that?" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "You're kidding!"

"You know, I stayed on because of our friendship." Giichi said and looked down at the ground. "And I'm putting my life on the line every day I stay here. Gato's thugs will show up eventually…" Tazuna narrowed his eyebrows. "When they do, they'll kill you and the bridge won't get finished anyway… It's a lost cause Tazuna… Why don't we stop now while we can still get out of this alive?" Giichi reasoned.

I hated the fact that a lot of time was being wasted because of this talk. They could've gotten a lot more done on the bridge if Giichi wasn't so keen on living… I know that it must be frightening and all, but still… I also hated the fact that all Sakura and I could do was sit and watch. It makes me feel so angry!

"No chance…" Tazuna replied. Giichi gasped. "This is _our_ bridge. Our island is poor, and it will stay that way until this bridge connects us to the main land. Comverse, trade and hope, that's what we're builder for!"

"There's not going to be much hope if we're all dead…" Giichi muttered.

"It's already noon…!" Tazuna grumbled as he stomped off. "Let's break for lunch…!"

"Tazuna, let's not end it like this…" Giiichi said as Tazuna walked past him.

"Save your breath… Oh, and Giichi, don't bother coming back after lunch…!" Tazuna replied as he stomped away out of sight. Sakura and I stared at the spot where he disappeared.

"…Awkward…" I said softly. It really is… It feels awkward enough just to watch it, but to actually be there is a completely different thing.

_**Episode Eleven:**_

_**The Land Where a Hero Once Lived!**_

Me, Sakura and Tazuna walked through the street to get stuff for dinner. If I had to guess, there would be around twenty or so adults and kids who were holding up signs for work or donations. I frowned. When Gato dies, I'm going to cut so many holes in him that he would spring back to life just to beg me mercy! But, I am not going to do that – too much blood.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked the bridge builder.

"You want to eat tonight, don't you? We've got to go pick up some things for dinner." Tazuna replied.

I let my eyes roam around the place. Sure, it might look like there's not much to see, but if you see homeless kids and children running around with stolen food and people yelling 'Thief!' then you actually start to think that this is the largest place in the world.

I looked at Sakura sadly and she returned my look. I sighed.

"What a jerk…" I muttered to myself.

"Melody…" Sakura whispered to me.

"What is it?" I whispered back to her.

"Do you think that we will be able to defeat Zabuza and that stranger? I mean, Kakashi Sensei was barely able to beat him last time…" She asked me.

"Yeah. I think so. After all, Kakashi is an experienced Jonin, Sasuke is the number one rookie, Naruto has so much chakra it is unbelievable, not to mention that you're the best at chakra control. I think that we should be fine. Not only do we out-number them in awesomeness, but we also out-number them in numbers." I replied with a small smirk.

"Naruto has lots of chakra?" Sakura asked me.

I nodded. "More than you can imagine. Heck, I think that he has more chakra than Kakashi Sensei."

"More than Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked, making sure that she heard right.

I nodded again. "That's right."

Sakura stared at me wide-eyed, trying to process all that she had just been told. And then Tazuna spoke up.

"Here we are." He said as we entered a shop.

"Welcome…" The guy at the check-out greeted us. He looked a little bit like a ninja. The only jobs that you can get in the Leaf Village is being a ninja. And cleaning… Like a ninja… Okay, I think that I'm starting to get a bit off track.

We all looked at the almost empty shelves. There were a few vegetables here and there, but not many. A man walked up behind Sakura and attempted to grab her back, but accidently touched… Her behind… He's in for it now… Sakura kicked the man in the head.

"You pervert!" She screamed, embarrassed.

"No! I was-" The man began, trying to explain himself until I cut him off.

"Was just trying to steal her bag." I finished for him. "Yeah, that makes everything okay." I said sarcastically.

I grabbed the man by the sleeve and dragged him out of the shop.

"I'll be right back…" I said sweetly and continued to drag him outside.

"Don't you _dare_ try to steal again otherwise this hand will slap you across your face! Do I make myself clear?" I screamed as loud as I could.

"Yes ma'am." The stranger replied.

"Good. Now move, or your face is what I'm hitting!" I warned. The man quickly scurried away and I smiled innocently. I then skipped back into the shop like a kid who just got a trip to the candy store.

When I got in, Sakura and Tazuna had finished buying the food and stared at me.

"Let's go." I said with an innocent voice. The two just shrugged and we walked out of the store.

"Whoa, you really surprised me back there. Girls around here don't fight like that." Tazuna commented.

"They should, something's seriously wrong around here!" Sakura replied. A small kid came up behind Sakura and grabbed onto her clothing. Sakura took it the wrong way and turned around cranky.

"Hey buster-!" She began, but stopped when she realized that it was only a kid. The child held out his hands.

"Please?" He asked as he made a cute face. Sakura and I looked down sadly at the boy and searched through our bags. Sakura had some candy and I had a half-eaten sandwich.

"Here…" We said in unison as we gave the boy our stuff. The boy smiled and gladly took the food.

"Oh, thank you!" The boy said. Sakura nodded.

"Run along now…" I said to the boy. The boy nodded and ran through the street with the food in his hands.

"This is how it's been since Gato's came here…" Tazuna explained as Sakura wiped away some tears. "The children suffer and the adults are afraid to stand up to him. They've lost all hope. That's why we have to finish the bridge. It will bring converse and trade. But much more importantly, that bridge is a symbol of courage. We must restore the spirit of our people. When the bridge is finished, people will start to believe again…" Tazuna said and clenched his fist tightly. "They'll believe that they can live with dignity. We can't let Gato stop us." Tazuna finished.

~Is This For Real?~

I was told by Kakashi Sensei to get the boys for dinner. So, I went to the place where we were climbing trees and found them. I decided to just watch them for a bit. It's amusing to watch them fail… They were both climbing up the trees and Naruto was the first one to fall. He screamed and quickly marked the tree, falling down and landing on his hands and feet. He panted as he watched Sasuke still climbing up the tree.

Sasuke knew that he was about to fall off, so he quickly marked the tree and jumped down from tree to tree, until he landed perfectly on the ground. Naruto growled for a moment, but then he quickly shook his head. Naruto made a hand sign as he calmed himself down and stood up. Naruto looked up at his tree with a cocky grin and was about to run to the tree, until a certain Uchiha stopped him.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke called out, making Naruto fall face-first on the hard, cold ground. Naruto turned to Sasuke with anger written all over his face.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" He yelled. "I was trying to focus my Chakra!" Yeah… Sorry folks, he means Chatora…

"Well… Uh…" Sasuke began at a loss for words. "You know… The thing is…" I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. It's taking all of Sasuke's energy to ask…! I don't want to go to any comedian anymore! If I want laughs and giggles, I'll just go to Sasuke! Oh wait, that's right… I can't! Because I have upset the poor prince!

"The thing is what?" Naruto asked as he folded his arms with a frown.

Sasuke's eye began to twitch with embarrassment. "Y-You know… You asked Sakura for advice when she was here…" Sasuke said and then looked away from Naruto. "So what did she tell you…?" He said the last part really softly.

Naruto blinked and then he smiled with victory. He wiped the smile off of his face, thinking that he was some kind of general or something…

"I'm not telling you." He stated coolly. Sasuke's rope of sanity broke and stared at the blonde with a growl and with anger written all over his face. This is the best staring contest I have ever seen. But sadly, I have to stop it here. Sasuke looked like he was going to pummel Naruto right into next week, until I stepped in.

"Hold your horse's cowboys!" I said with my arms spread out. "As much as I would like to see Naruto out-"

"Hey!" Naruto interrupted. I ignored him.

"I'm afraid that we can't have that. We need everyone to face Zabuza. So put your grudges aside, and let's get the cheese back to Tazuna's house!" I finished.

"You have cheese?" Naruto asked me. Sasuke and I just stared at him. I sighed.

"Yes Naruto. I have cheese with me…" I said sarcastically.

"Yes!" Naruto said with victory as his arms shot up into the air. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Anyway…" I started, changing the subject. "It's time for dinner. Let's go before one of you ends up with broken bones… Or dead, one or the other…" I said. Sasuke began to walk back to Tazuna's place by himself while I walked along with Naruto.

"By the way, Naruto…" I began. Naruto glanced at me.

"Yeah?" He asked me.

"Thanks." I said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "For what?" He asked.

"For carrying me back to Tazuna's place… You know, when I… Fainted…" I replied.

"Uh… I didn't carry you back…" Naruto said dumbly.

"Stop being so modest, Naruto. I know that it was you." I replied.

"No… I didn't…" Naruto said. "_He_ brought you back…"

"Tazuna?" I asked. Naruto shook his head.

"No."

"Did Kakashi somehow wake up and carry me back?"

"No."

"Naruto, stop messing with me. Are you hiding something from me? Are you telling me that Sakura is actually a very feminine-looking guy?"

"No! How does that even work?"

"Then who carried me to Tazuna's?" I asked.

"Let's see… Black hair. Attitude. My rival. The guy with the biggest pack of screaming fan-girls in the entire world!"

My eyes widened. I then laughed as loud as I could.

"Okay… Naruto, the joke's over now…" I said to the blonde.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not joking…! I'm serious! Sasuke carried you back to Tazuna's! He went over to when you collapsed and carried you on his back!"

"So, you're telling me that Sasuke carried me… And not only that, but he carried me _willingly_?" I asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yep! That's what happened!"

I thought about this for a moment and then I grabbed onto Naruto's wrist tightly.

"Ow! Ow! OW! Melody! Let go! That hurts you know!" He screamed.

"Then stop being a slow-poke and hurry the heck up!" I replied as I dragged him along.

"OW!" Naruto screamed in pain.

~Is This For Real?~

We made it back to Tazuna's house and Naruto and Sasuke were now having the ninja version of an eating contest. All I could do was stare at the two pigs. This was an awful sight to see. Watching them eat is making me feel like throwing up…

Tazuna laughed. "Man this is fantastic…" He said as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's been ages since we've had so many guests at our table!"

Naruto and Sasuke quickly scoffed all of their food down and stood up with their bowls held up high in the air.

"I want some more!" They both announced at the same time. The glared at each-other with lightning in their eyes. You could literally see the lightning shooting out too! They both sat down.

"Their table manners are ridiculous…" I whispered to my pink-haired friend. Sakura nodded in agreement.

Naruto and Sasuke quickly turned around to vomit what they had just scoffed down.

Sakura stood up as her hands slammed down onto the table. "Don't eat so much if you're going to puke it up!" She yelled. Agreed.

"I have to eat…" Sasuke said as he wiped his face. Naruto smirked.

"I have to eat more than him. It's the only possible way I'll get strong enough to beat him…" He said. Has anyone ever heard of 'training'? Obviously not…

Kakashi nodded. "That's true… But puking won't help you…" He commented.

After we all finished eating, (And puking for others…) I grabbed my coat and my sketch book. I'm in a very bad mood at the moment. Kakashi looked up at me as I made my way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" He asked me. I'm not even in the mood to make a sarcastic joke about this…

"Out." I replied.

"Don't you remember that Zabuza is still alive?" Kakashi asked me. "And his partner as well?"

"I don't care…" I mumbled. "Besides, if they were close, then we would've seen corpses everywhere…! I don't see a corpse anywhere, do you?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow as everyone (Besides the prince of all emo's) stared at me. I opened the door and slammed it shut behind me and left, hoping to release my anger on something…

**No POV:**

Everyone stared at the door where Melody stormed out. Sakura leaned towards Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, what's wrong with Melody?" She asked the blonde kid. Naruto leaned towards Sakura.

"I don't know… She wasn't like this before…" Naruto said, but trailed off.

"Before what…?" Sakura asked.

"Well, before I told her about Sasuke carrying her back here after she fainted." Naruto replied. Sakura blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"That's what this is about?" She asked. Naruto shrugged.

"I think so."

"But why would she be mad about that?"

"I don't know."

Kakashi spoke up. "Okay, spill it…" He said. "What's made her mad?"

Naruto explained everything, despite Sasuke actually still sitting there.

"Hmm…" Kakashi hummed in thought. "Well, I think that someone should go talk to her… Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head frantically. "No! I can't do it! If she's _this_ mad, then she'll pummel me like a pancake!" Everyone raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto sighed. "It's a long story… I'll tell you later…" Naruto turned to Sakura. "What about you, Sakura? Can you talk to her about it?"

Sakura shook her head sadly. "I wish I could, Naruto. But Melody and I just became friends… Besides, I don't know what kind of things she can do when she's angry…" The pinkette reasoned. Naruto turned to the silver-haired Jonin.

"Kakashi Sensei?" He asked.

"Sorry, I can't walk far distances with my leg…" Kakashi lied. Naruto pouted.

"Then how come you were able to bring us into the tree-climbing spot?" He asked.

"It's different, Naruto." Kakashi said as he flipped open his 'Make-Out Paradise' book. "Besides, I need to know what happens next…"

Naruto groaned. "Then who…" He trailed off and all eyes were glued on Sasuke.

"No." Sasuke stated.

"Well, you're the only one who _can _do it." Naruto said. "Or are you too scared…?" He said teasingly.

Sasuke stood up and walked out of the door without a word. Naruto grinned.

"Yes!" He screamed. "Victory!"

"Don't get too used to it…" Sakura mumbled.

"Oh… Come on Sakura…" Naruto groaned as Kakashi laughed. Not by Naruto's fail, but by something that was in the book.

~Is This For Real?~

**Melody's POV:**

I sat down, leaning against a tree. I opened up my sketch book and on the first page of it was a drawing of Sasuke. I growled as I ripped it out of the book and scrunched it up into a ball. I then threw it on the ground, not caring if I was littering.

"Stupid Sasuke…" I grumbled to myself.

After a moment, a pair of feet walked up in front of me and soon followed by a hand that picked up the paper ball. I looked up at the person in front of me and it was… _him…_ What's he doing here?

Sasuke threw the paper ball back to me and I caught it.

"What do _you _want?" I asked with a scowl.

"I'll answer when you tell me why you're out here…" Sasuke replied, ignoring my damn question.

"I don't have to tell you anything…" I replied. Sasuke cocked his head to the side.

"Do you mind if I sit down…?" Sasuke asked me.

"If it'll keep the damn prince happy…" I mumbled. Sasuke sent me a glare, but quickly made it disappear. He sat down next to me.

"Do you mind telling me what happened?" Sasuke asked me. "Do you mind telling me why you're mad at me?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"There's this thing… It's called a 'dictionary'. I suggest you try searching up the word 'disappointment' in it…" I replied without looking at him.

"Why would you think that I'm disappointed?" Sasuke asked me. I rolled my eyes.

"The Zabuza fight. I froze up! You were right there when it happened! When I fainted, _you_ carried me back. You obviously think I'm weak now…! And to top it all off, you keep sending me the death glare!" I explained harshly.

Sasuke blinked and then sighed. "You think _that's_ the reason that I've been staring at you?" He asked.

"Well, how else do you explain it?" I asked.

"One. I'm _not_ disappointed in you. You helped more than what you would think in that fight with Zabuza… Two. The reason why I have been staring at you is because you remind me of someone." Sasuke explained. I finally looked at him. What?

Sasuke sighed and then chuckled. "It's weird… I have been thinking that you are that person… She was a friend of mine as a kid… Back when the Uchiha village wasn't destroyed. But, she's long gone now…"

I blinked in confusion. "Well, why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"Well, you stormed out so fast that I didn't get a chance to. Besides, I didn't get a chance to talk to you with the others around…" Sasuke replied.

"Oh…" I said, not knowing what to say.

"So, what's with the paper ball?" Sasuke asked. "Are you drawing?"

"I've been dabbing…" I replied. "This one is kind of…" I trailed off as I unwrapped the piece of paper. "Well, I attempted you…"

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Because…" I replied.

"That's not an answer…" Sasuke said.

"It can be…" I replied.

"But it's not…" Sasuke replied.

I punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Shut up…" I said to him.

I looked down at the drawing that I did ages ago. "I don't know why… But for some reason I have drawn a necklace around your neck…" I laughed. "Sorry… I couldn't help myself… It's probably not your style…"

"It's fine…" Sasuke replied as he stared at the page. Sasuke continued to stare at the page, until he sighed and stood up.

"We better head back to the house…" He said. I closed the book and stood up also.

"Right." I agreed. "Well, sorry about that… I guess I should've asked before I got angry…"

"Stop apologizing…" Sasuke said. "It's over and the problem is solved…"

"Okay, sorry…" I quickly covered my mouth, realizing what I had just said. "I mean… Uh… Um… Sorry… Um…"

"Stop worrying about it…" Sasuke said.

"Okay then… Even though I think I should say sorry…" I replied.

"Well don't. Let's go…" Sasuke replied.

"Okay… Duck Butt…" I giggled. Sasuke had veins popping out of his head as he clenched his fist.

"What?" He yelled at me.

"I said… Duck… Butt… That's your new name!" I replied with a smile.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Call me that one more time…"

"Duck Butt!" I interrupted, making Sasuke's knuckles turn pale.

"Running!" I announced as I ran off with Sasuke following close behind me while yelling out,

"Get back here!" Ha! It's not even like it's Sasuke anymore. It's like Sasuke's body has been taken over by some sort of… I don't know… That's just how much Sasuke has changed… It sure would've sucked if someone set up camera's… For Sasuke that is!

~Is This For Real?~

Sasuke and I walked in the door of Tazuna's house, and it turns out that we came in during Tazuna's story. Go figure! He was up to the part where Inari met his father… I didn't think that we were gone for that long… But apparently we were!

Sasuke and I just quietly stayed outside of the room, listening to what was happening…

…

_Inari woke up and a mysterious man smiled at him._

"_Waking up, huh?" Kaiza asked. "Finally…" Inari gasped and sat up and stared at the man who was sitting in front of a fire with three fishes on sticks._

_Kaiza turned around to face Inari. "I had a little talk with those kids. They won't be bothering you again." He held up one of the sticks with the fish on it. "Here! Eat."_

_Inari smiled. "Did you pull me out of the water, mister?" He asked._

"_Have a bite to eat first, and then we'll talk all about it!"_

…

"_Hm. I see, so your dog abandoned you too, huh?" Kaiza asked. "In my country, dogs are very loyal – they stand by their masters. Then again, you abandoned the dog first, so what can you expect?"_

_Inari stopped chewing on his fish and looked down at the ground sadly. _

"_I really wanted to save him, but I just froze…" He said, disappointed._

"_Hm…"_

"_I was just so scared… I guess that I just don't have any courage…" Inari's eyes filled with tears, and they flowed down his cheeks. Kaiza ruffled Inari's hair._

"_Hey, come on… Don't be so hard on yourself, you're a kid. When I was your age, I was scared too." Kaiza reassured him. Inari looked up at Kaiza. "It's no big deal… But always remember this… Live your life so then you have nothing to regret. If you care about something, protect it, no matter how tough, no matter how sad, you've got to keep trying. Even if you have to put your life on the line, protect it with both arms, never give in!"_

"His name was Kaiza." Tazuna explained. "A simple fisherman who had come here from another land to follow his dreams. After that, Inari and Kaiza were inseparable. The boy had never known his real father, so you can imagine what it meant to him to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his footsteps, like a real father and son."

"Kaiza spent more and more time with us, until he just naturally became a member of our family, and then, when this town needed him, he became more."

_A man rushed into the house in a panic. "We've got trouble, Kaiza!" He yelled. "A flood gate has opened and the water is rising!" Kaiza stood up, preparing to save the village. "If we don't stop it, the lower district will be flooded!"_

"_What?" Kaiza said in disbelief._

"_Father!" Inari yelled._

"_Inari, get me some rope, hurry!" Kaiza said to the small boy._

"_Right!" Inari replied as he rushed off to get the rope._

…

"_See where the gate is? We need to get a line out there and pull it close!" A villager said._

"_A line?" Another asked. "You have to swim out there to do that! It's impossible, no one can make it through that current!"_

"_If we don't do it, the whole district will be wiped out!" The other replied. "It's the only way!"_

"_I'll do it!" Kaiza said, making him the center of attention. Everyone turned to look at him._

"_Kaiza?"_

"_Don't be foolish!"_

"_You'll never make it!"_

"_Father…!" Inari said as he looked up at his dad. Kaiza placed a hand on Inari's head._

"_Don't worry… Nothing can stop your dad. This is our village, so we have to do everything we can to help."_

…

_Kaiza wrapped the rope tightly around his waist, holding on the bars behind him. He then dived into the rough water with a grunt. Inari could only watch from the sidelines as his father tried desperately to save the village. Kaiza swam through the current as best as he could and then Inari smiled._

"_Father, I know you can do it!" He called out to his dad._

_Kaiza finally made it on top of the village gate as he gaped for air._

"_He made it!" One of the villagers yelled out. "He tied the rope on!"_

"_Alright, let's pull it closed! Everybody, come on!" Another yelled and all of the villagers began to pull the rope as hard as they could._

"From that time on, Kaiza was considered a hero in this land. He taught us all the meaning of courage and Inari was so proud to be his son…" Tazuna told us. "But, it wasn't long after… That Gato showed up and took over. He terrorized the entire village. Only Kaiza stood up to him… Gato couldn't have a local hero getting in his way… It took his whole gang to stop one man…"

_Kaiza grunted as he was repeatedly smacked on the back with a pole that one of Gato's men were holding._

"_You're a bit of a hand, Kaiza." Gato began. "All of that talk about how you were going to protect this village with your two arms… Those arms aren't much good now, are they?" Gato laughed at how Kaiza's arms were tied up to another pole. "You still got that defiant look in your eye, though… Well, my men will get rid of that!" Gato laughed. "Get to work on him…" He ordered._

"_Get down there!" The man with the pole yelled at Kaiza as he kicked him down to the ground. The other men in front of him chuckled as they knocked him out cold with their over-sized hammers._

…

_The whole village was gathered around, helplessly watching from behind a fence as Gato, a few of his men and Kaiza were inside the dome. Kaiza was tied to a large log with his head lowered slightly._

"_Listen up!" Gato yelled to get the villagers' attention. "This man has defied the Gato Corporation. He has disturbed the order of this land! His punishment is execution!" At this, all of the villagers gasped and mumbled, concerned._

"_Let this be an example, so no one will dare stand in our way again!" Gato added coldly._

"_Father!" Inari cried. A villager standing next to him turned to face the small boy._

"_Inari, don't…" He advised quietly. The tears continued to flow out of Inari's eyes, making Kaiza look up to him. He smiled._

"_Do it…" Gato ordered one of his men and walked away. The henchman pulled out his sword slowly._

"_Father… No…" Inari sobbed as he stared at the sword and then to Kaiza. "Daddy!" He yelled out._

_Before he knew it, Kaiza – his father – had already been executed._

"Since then, Inari had changed…" Tazuna explained. "So did Tsunami and all of our people. We lost our will…"

There was a moment of silence, and suddenly, without warning, Naruto stood up and tried to run, but he slipped over the floor and face-first on the ground.

"What are you doing down there Naruto?" Sakura asked the blonde.

"You better take the day off…" Kakashi advised. "No more training. You've used too much Chakra…" Naruto tried to get back up, but he could only make it to his hands and knees. "If you push any harder, it can kill you…"

"I'm going to prove it…!" Naruto said.

"Prove what?" Sakura asked, confused as Naruto made it to his feet.

"I'll prove that it… that it's true… That in this world… There are real heroes…!" Naruto answered.

I smiled and turned to Sasuke. He stared at the scene, but it looked like his mind was elsewhere…

"Sasuke…?" I asked him.

Sasuke slowly turned to me. He heard me, but he's still in his own thoughts… I shrugged.

"Nothing…" I finished, looking down at the ground.

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto and Melody Voice-over)**_

_(Naruto) Huh? You want something lady? I'm busy training right now, because we don't know when Zabuza will strike next… _

_(Melody) Remember Naruto, what Tazuna said in his story… What Kaiza said… You have to protect what's important – protect it with both arms… But, I don't need to tell you that… After all you are the best ninja…_

_(Naruto) Believe it! Wait… Was that sarcasm?_

_(Melody) You're the smart one… You figure it out…_

_(Naruto) Was that an insult…!?_

_(Melody) Next time…_

_(Naruto/Melody) Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Returns!_

_(Melody) Please don't screw it up Naruto…_

_**EXTRA! (Sasuke's POV)**_

I walked into one of the guest bedrooms and sat down on the mattress with a sigh.

This has been a strange day… Well, at least I finally got a lot of stuff off of my chest… I placed a hand in my pocket and pulled out a golden necklace with a sapphire gem on it… I stared at it for a while.

"There's no doubt about it…" I said to myself. "It's definitely her… She's finally – after all of these years – she's finally come back…" I tried my best to hold my tears back, but soon after, I felt that my cheeks had already become wet. I quickly wiped them away and put the necklace away. I lay down and sighed.

"I wonder if she remembers…" I asked myself with a sigh.

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Another chapter is done! I wonder what Sasuke's and Melody's relationship with each-other is…**_

_**Sakura: Why are you asking that question? You already know!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: BECAUSE OF REASONS! DX**_

_**Naruto: Okay… Weird…**_

_**Melody: Do you mind telling me what's going on?**_

_**Sasuke: Review please…**_

_**Naruto: REVIEW PLEASE!**_

_**Sasuke: I ALREADY said that!**_


	9. Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Returns!

_**Luffy D. Monkey: Hey guys!**_

_**Sakura: What the heck are you doing here!?**_

_**SonicShaymin2: I like One Piece!**_

_**Naruto: COOL! It's the Prince of All Swordsmen!**_

_**Zoro: Luffy, do you mind telling me how the hell we got here?!**_

_**Luffy D. Monkey: *Shrugs* I don't know…**_

_**Melody: Hey Mr. Zoro, do you mind if you give me your autograph?**_

_**Zoro: My what…?**_

_**Melody: ZORO! Can you do the disclaimer?**_

_**Zoro: Look, I'm kind of busy right now… Besides, I need to take a nap and-**_

_**Melody: DO IT RIGHT NOW!**_

_**Zoro: We do not own… Wait what show is this…?**_

_**Naruto: NARUTO!**_

_**Zoro: *Slaps Naruto across the face* I knew that… We do not own NARUTO. NARUTO is owned by... Um… Who is it owned by again….?**_

_**Sakura: Misashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo…**_

_**Zoro: Right… NARUTO is owned by those guys… There, I did it… Come on Luffy… Let's go. I need to train...**_

_**Luffy D. Monkey: But why…?**_

_**Zoro: We need to get ready for that new One Piece story…**_

_**Luffy D. Monkey: YAY!**_

_**Melody: Come back here ZORO!**_

_**Everyone else: Wow…**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**MorgannePhaedras – I love craziness too! YAY! Sasuke and Melody… Well, we'll have to wait and see to find out… Here's the next chapter! And you rock too! You rock even more than SASUKE! Thanks for the support!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

"ZORO!" I screamed as loud as I could, trying to catch up with the pirate-

_**(Let's try that again…)**_

"SASUKE!" I screamed as loud as I could as I slammed my fist against the table.

Sasuke looked up at me with an eyebrow raised. "What?" He asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Give me that bowl of rice… Please…" I asked. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Hey, I said 'please'.

"Fine…" He said as he handed me a bowl.

"Thank you!" I looked into the bowl. "This isn't rice… It looks like rice that has been stomped into the dirt…" I complained.

"Well, it hasn't…" Sasuke replied. "Where did you even get that idea anyway…?"

I lowered my head. "No where… At all…" I replied as I gobbled on my rice. It really did taste like dirt though… I noticed a grin on Sasuke's face.

"It's been in the dog's business…" He corrected me. My eyes widened and I immediately did a spit-take. I then grabbed a hold of my glass of water and poured it in my mouth, and then I spat that water back into the cup.

"You jerk face!" I screamed at the Uchiha. "Why the hell did you do that for?"

"That's for calling me 'Duck Butt'…" Sasuke replied.

"This is how you are getting me back? I expected a lot more maturity from you! This is what I would expect from Naruto!" I screamed. I swear I saw a vein pop out of his head, but that quickly faded away and he burst into a fit of laughter. It's rare to see Sasuke laugh, so I guess it's cool… No it's not! I'm getting him back for this!

"Well, morning everyone!" Kakashi announced as he walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Kakashi!" I said happily. Sasuke gave him a grunt of acknowledgement, but then immediately went back to laughing. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny…?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing!" I quickly answered.

"She ate-"

"Shut it Sasuke!" I screamed. A moment of silence went by. Awkward…

"Rice that was covered with-"

"NO!" I screamed as I pounced on the raven-haired Uchiha.

"Whoa!" He gasped from shock as I tackled him out of his chair.

"Don't tell him!" I yelled at Sasuke, who had a mischievous grin on his face. "I'm warning you… Don't you do it…" Sasuke frowned.

"Fine…" He muttered.

"You have to promise me…" I whispered.

"I… Promise…" He stated. It must've taken a lot of his pride to say that. I smiled. I was satisfied. I got off of Sasuke and brushed myself off. Sasuke stood up and sat back in his chair.

"I'm still getting you back for this though…" I warned him. He shrugged.

"I know you will…" He replied. I raised an eyebrow.

"What made you think that I would? After all, I could've been a sweet and innocent girl…" I asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah… Some sweet and innocent girl you are… You threw a pie in the idiot's face…" He said as he took a sip of 'his' water. I smirked.

"For your information, we were both in that together… Also, that's the cup I spat in…" I informed the Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes widened and he ran out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. This time, I was the one who was laughing my guts out. Kakashi sat down.

"Is there something that I should know about…?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"Nope! I just got Sasuke back for being a bad boy…" I replied. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off.

"If you say so…" He said and took a drink.

"By the way… I spat in all of the other cups while nobody was looking…" I said. Wait, shouldn't I have seen his face? Damn… My plans are foiled again… Kakashi swallowed and stood up.

"Excuse me…" He said and left for the bathroom. I frowned. What? Do they think that I have the cooties or something?

Just then, Sasuke came out with a scowl on his face. I clicked my tongue.

"You know, this is just a hunch, but uh… You look a little mad…" I stated the obvious. Sasuke growled.

"That's because I _am_ mad!" Sasuke yelled at me.

"Sasuke, you aren't the one who actually swallowed it, so why are you complaining?" I asked. Sasuke looked like he wanted to punch the crap out of me. I held my laughter.

"Oh look, a bird!" I said as I pointed at the sky. "I haven't seen one of those since yesterday!" Sasuke growled again. v

"In case you haven't noticed Melody, my name isn't Naruto…" Sasuke informed me.

"Worth a shot…" I mumbled to myself.

_**Episode Twelve:**_

_**Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Returns!**_

After a good ten minutes later, everything had settled down and everyone was out of bed. Well, everyone but Sakura. Speaking of which, three, two, one…

"Good morning everyone…" Sakura yawned as she walked in and sat down.

"Morning!" I replied. Sakura smiled.

"Here…" Tsunami said as she handed a plate of food over to Sakura.

"Oh thank you…" Sakura replied. "By the way, I heard a lot of noise out here earlier, what was that?" Poop!

"Nothing-!"

"Prank war-!"

Sasuke and I looked at each-other.

"Prank war-!"

"Nothing-!"

Sakura looked at the two of us confused. Hey, I can't blame her… I don't even know what the heck is going on…

"Anyway…" I said, changing the subject. "Naruto isn't here… Has anyone seen him…?" I asked, trying to sound like I didn't know what was going on. Sasuke raised a suspicious eyebrow at me.

"He's gone insane…" Sakura added. "He has been out at night, climbing trees… He could be dead now for all we know… You know, from using up too much Chakra…"

"Well, I certainly hope he's okay… Imagine, a child spending the night in the woods alone." Tsunami joined in.

"Naruto may be a goofy kid, but even so, he is a full-fledged ninja. He can handle himself, it will be alright…" Kakashi replied.

"Sakura's right…" Sasuke agreed. "Naruto is such a loser… He could just be lying out there dead by now…" Man, since when did the S.S. Negativity stroll into town? Sasuke and I stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you two going?" Sakura asked us. Great… She probably thinks that we're going to hide in the woods and make-out… Something that I just said doesn't sound right… EW! Gross! Bleh!

"I'm going for a walk…" Sasuke replied.

"I'm walking beside him!" I added. I am so mean…

"Wait! We just started eating-" Sakura said confused and looked at our plates while we headed out of the door.

"Sasuke, you know that you didn't need to give me that seventy hour lecture, right…?" I whined.

"Would you prefer me to punch you…?" Sasuke asked me.

"NO!" I screamed.

"Then, you shouldn't be complaining…" Sasuke said.

"It's not nice to hit a girl, you know…" I said to him.

"Who says that I'm nice…?" Sasuke asked me. I pouted. Damn. How is he beating me…?

"Your fan-club…" I answered.

"And… You're saying that you believe them…?" Sasuke asked me.

"No! Of course not!" I yelled.

"Stop yelling…" Sasuke ordered. "It's really annoying…"

"Oh, I'm sorry… BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" I screamed.

"Do you have a death wish?" Sasuke asked me.

"I HAVE NEVER YELLED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! WHY ARE YOU MEAN TO ME SASUKE?" I yelled.

Sasuke had enough and punched my shoulder. I rubbed the sore spot.

"WHY DID YOU HIT ME?" I screamed (Accidently). Sasuke growled. "I mean… Ouch… You are mean Sasuke… Just because you are the Prince of all Uchiha's doesn't mean that you get to punch me…"

"Just hit me back then…" Sasuke shrugged. "Do you always act like a princess…?"

I suddenly tried to have relaxing thoughts… Birds chirping… Sunny skies… Classical music… Wait… I hate classical music! That's it, the guy's going down! And I'm not just talking downtown, I'm talking six-feet underground!

"I am not a princess! If anything, you act like you're the ruler of the freaking moon!" I yelled.

"You know, when you're trying to come up with a come-back, make sure that it actually makes sense…" Sasuke advised. I didn't think and I slapped Sasuke across his face.

"Oh Kami…" I said to myself in a voice below a whisper. "Sasuke, I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to hit you…"

Sasuke shrugged. "Whatever…" He said. I blinked.

"What?" I asked.

"Whatever… It doesn't matter… Let's look for the idiot..." Sasuke replied as he continued walking. I quickly ran over next to him.

I think a good ten seconds went by and then I became bored.

"God! This is the biggest freaking forest ever! Are we there yet?" I asked.

"Do you see an idiot…?" Sasuke asked me.

"No…" I answered.

"Then no… We are not there!" Sasuke replied.

Five seconds went by…

"Are we there yet…?" I asked.

"No."

"Are we there yet…?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

I was taken aback by this and sighed.

"Are we there yet?"

"GOD DAMN IT! NO! WE ARE NOT! DO NOT ASK ME THAT QUESTION AGAIN!" Sasuke yelled at the top of his lungs.

I thought about what he said for a moment.

"Have we found Naruto yet?" I asked with a grin.

"NO! CAN YOU NOT SAY ANYTHING FOR FIVE MORE MINUTES?" Sasuke screamed.

"Fine…" I mumbled. I looked down at the ground as I walked.

"OOOOWWWW OWWWW OOOOOOWWWWW!" I said as a dog howl.

"DAMN IT!" Sasuke screamed as he smashed a tree.

"Sasuke, what did that tree ever do to you…?" I asked with my hands on my hips. Sasuke looked like he was out for blood. But I couldn't help myself… He's just so easy…

"I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!" Sasuke screamed. My eyes widened.

"Running again!" I whispered to myself as I ran away. We ran for so long and so far away… I swear, there was this one guy who looked so much like Shikamaru… Eh. My imagination is weird…

Eventually, Sasuke caught me and punched me in the face. It hurt… But, I kind of deserved it… Who am I kidding? That punk is going down! Later…

While we were walking, we passed by Haku. I waved to him… For no reason at all… He smiled at me and continued walking away. We then found… I'll give you one guess. Wait a second… Question time!

Who or what do you think we found?

A: Roronoa Zoro

B: Naruto

C: A random guy who is a lemon who screams a lot

…

If you chose Naruto (B) as your answer, then you are correct! Since you chose Naruto, you get this fabulous prize! You get a Naruto T-shirt, A Naruto figurine set, including – Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and all of your other favourite characters of your choice! You also get the entire DVD set of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden! And, so you can watch them, we're adding a DVD and Blu-ray player, and just when you think you have seen it all, you get a flat-screen TV!

If you chose A or C, then you get a never ending supply of cookies! Hooray!

Sorry, not really… But I just said that because I want everything that I just listed… Including the cookies… Double chocolate chip… Mmmm…. Anyway, back to what was happening…

We watched Naruto as he was sitting down with his arms folded, talking to himself…

"Whoa, I've seen a lot of weird things in my life before, but this one takes the cake!" Naruto said to himself. And it probably ate it too!

Sasuke walked over to the blonde and whacked him over the head.

"OW! Hey what did you do that for?" Naruto yelled at the Uchiha. "Cut it out!"

"You dork…" Sasuke said. "Did you just forget about breakfast? You're such a loser…" Naruto blinked and then laughed, making Sasuke frown at him. I walked over to Naruto.

"So Naruto, who's your new boyfriend?" I asked the blonde. He blinked.

"Were you watching me the whole time?" Naruto screamed.

"No… Your boyfriend put it on a billboard, just to make sure that everyone knew that it was official…" I said with a smile, causing Naruto's whole life turn upside down. "Don't worry about it… Just make sure that you don't forget your anniversary!"

"MELODY!" Naruto yelled. I ruffled his hair.

"I'm kidding… One of these days, I'm going to have to teach you the art of sarcasm…" I said.

"Are you saying that I'm stupid?" Naruto shouted.

"I don't know… Am I…?" I asked sarcastically. Naruto growled. "Anyway, get your lazy butts into gear and start climbing those trees!"

Sasuke folded his arms. "Oh yeah…? And while we're doing that, what are you going to do?"

"I'm totally not going to sit down, reading magazines and drink out of one of those cups with the little umbrella in it…" I said, hoping that they would believe me.

"Oh! Okay! Sounds cool!" Naruto said. I smirked.

"Don't be lazy… You have to climb trees too…" Sasuke said as he dragged me by my sleeve.

"Meep…" I said randomly. Damn… Sasuke, why do you do this to me? I noticed that Naruto had a cocky grin on his face. My eyes widened. "No Naruto! Don't!" I screamed. But it was too late… Naruto began dancing (Terribly). He did the Running Man, Robot, Sprinkler, Tap Dancing, and at one moment, he thought that he was a ballerina. Sasuke and I stared at Naruto, unable to take our eyes away from the terror. Sasuke even dropped me from the shock of seeing the weird dance.

It is going to be a long day…

~Is This for Real?~

Naruto quickly climbed up a tree, waiting for Sakura and Kakashi to come and watch him. Sasuke and I just sat behind the bushes. I held a magazine in my hand. I didn't need to be there.

Finally, Sakura and Kakashi showed up. Yay!

"Naruto!" Sakura called out. "Knowing Naruto, he can be anywhere… And Sasuke and Melody haven't come back either, I wonder where they all are…" Just then, a kunai came rushing towards the two and landed in the ground in front of them. At this point, I suddenly stopped caring and I looked back at my magazine… God, that guy looks awesome when he poses like that!

"Whoa…" Sakura said in shock. "Naruto can climb that high now by using his Chakra? That's great…"

"What do you think guys? Is it high enough for you? I mean, it's a long way down from up here!" I knew what would happen. Naruto would've stood up, slipped, everyone's panicking, he's upside down and says that he was joking… I know of these things. Man, this guy is just really AMAZING! He should probably get a haircut… NAH!

"Just kidding…! You guys really fell for it!" Naruto yelled and began to laugh.

"We were worried about you, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

"Why do I think that this is going to end badly…?" Kakashi asked himself.

At this point, I figured that Naruto's feet must've dropped from the tree, because of Kakashi's and Sakura's screams.

"You just had to push it, didn't you, show off!" Sakura screamed at the blonde.

"Looks like Naruto's falling…" Sasuke stated the obvious.

"Oh no… That is terrible…" I said like a robot.

"Don't you think you should save him…?" Sasuke asked me.

"I'm busy, besides, you have two working arms and legs and a beating heart and you care… You do it…" I said, not taking my eyes off of the magazine. Sasuke sighed.

"Fine…" He replied and rushed towards where Naruto was falling. Sasuke must've caught Naruto, because now they were talking.

"Naruto! Are you okay?" Sakura asked. What? That question was never asked. What's going on around here…? I would look, but my eyes are glued onto the pages.

"What a loser… Stop fooling around and maybe your head wouldn't be in the ground…" Sasuke advised.

"Right…" Naruto agreed. "Why didn't you catch me…?"

"Maybe because _someone_ wouldn't do it herself and she told me to do it at the last second…" Sasuke replied.

I closed my magazine and turned around slowly to look at the others, who were all staring at me.

"Magazine…?" I said as a question as I pointed at it.

"You didn't catch Naruto because of a magazine?" Sakura asked me with her hands on her hips. "What could be so great about it-" I cut the pinkette off by showing her the photo that I was looking at. "OH MY GOD! He's so-"

"Yep." I agreed, knowing what she was going to say.

"I see… That is a totally good excuse why you didn't help Naruto!" Sakura said dreamily.

"I know, right?" I agreed. Naruto popped his head out of the ground and stomped over to us.

"Oh, come on! It can't be that great – OH MY GOD!"

"It's amazing…!" The three of us said dreamily.

Sakura and I raised an eyebrow at the blonde and stomped on a foot each, causing him to fall down with a thud.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, I guess I should look at everyone's progress…" He said and turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, you're up…"

Sasuke nodded and prepared himself for tree climbing.

"When Naruto's feeling better, tell him that I will check on his real progress…" Kakashi told Sakura and I.

"Yeah…" Sakura and I replied, only half-listening.

Kakashi sighed again.

"It's going to be a miracle for me to survive through the rest of this time…" He mumbled to himself. I think this magazine is cursed or something, because I have never been this hypnotized in my entire life.

"Was that an insult Kakashi?" I asked the Jonin.

"Of course not…" Kakashi replied.

"I can smell the sarcasm…" I replied. Wait, since when did I become an Inuzuka…? Eh? I must be going crazy or something…

~Is This For Real?~

It was night time, and Sasuke and Naruto have already climbed to the top of their trees. I smiled mischievously.

"Oh Sasuke… You came-" I began to sing.

"STOP TALKING!" Sasuke yelled. Man, he is cranky today.

"Okay, don't get your knickers in a knot!" I yelled back as I waved my hands.

"And stop telling me to not get my knickers in a knot!" Sasuke screamed.

I snorted. "You said 'knickers'." I giggled.

"YOU SAID IT FIRST!" Sasuke screamed. I shrugged. Oh yeah, Naruto was enjoying this argument.

"But you repeated it! I thought that you were supposed to be smart!" I replied.

"Damn it! Naruto, let's go!" Sasuke yelled.

"But-!"

"No buts'!" Sasuke screamed. I snorted again.

"You said butt…" I laughed.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Sasuke screamed. Should I stop…? Nah! "LET'S JUST GO!" Sasuke screamed again as he jumped down.

"Sasuke! You shouldn't jump down from that-"

"DAMN IT!"

"High…" I shrugged it off. The joys of being a boy… If you know what I mean. "Naruto! _Climb_ down from there!" I shouted.

"Okay!" Naruto said cheerfully as he _climbed _down… Not _jumped… Climbed…_

I walked over to Sasuke. "You're cranky today…" I said to the Uchiha. He looked up at me and gave me his 'no duh' look. "Where is the Sasuke I knew and loved? Which is the Sasuke who gave me sympathy yesterday…" I said.

"Wait a minute…!" Naruto yelled. Damn it… I forgot that he has the ability to show up at the worst moment…

"You _loved _Sasuke? I knew it!" Naruto laughed. I rewarded his smart remark with a kick in the knee. "OW!" He screamed in pain.

"Bad Naruto…" I said to Naruto like he was a dog and pointed a finger at him. "Bad!"

"As a friend…" I corrected myself. Sasuke shrugged. Oh thank god… As I said before, I do not _love_ Sasuke like that… It is a friendly sort of love… Nothing to get excited about… I need no people saying stuff like that! NONE!

"Let's go…" Sasuke said as he stood up and walked over to Naruto. "I'll take the loser back since he is injured and it was _your _ fault…" He said as he put Naruto's arm over his shoulder.

"He should watch what he says…" I pouted as I folded my arms.

"You should start to follow your own advice…" Sasuke muttered.

"What was that…?" I asked, making sure that I heard right.

"Whatever…" Sasuke said as he began walking. I gave up and followed close behind.

~Is This For Real?~

We have been walking for a while now (By 'we', I mean me and Sasuke) and we have finally made it back to Tazuna's place… Thank Kami… I opened the door for Sasuke, because he was too busy with Naruto. We walked into the house with all eyes on the three of us.

"What have you been up to?" Tazuna asked us. "You look like something the cat dragged in…"

Naruto looked up at them. "We both made it all the way to the top…!" He announced.

"And I watched them…" I added. I didn't want people to get confused… He said 'both,' not 'all'.

"Good." Kakashi replied with a nod. "Now we can move on… Starting tomorrow, you will both join the two girls as bodyguards for Tazuna." He announced. Naruto smiled and then he laughed.

"Alright!" He screamed as he shot an arm up into the air, but it was too surprising for Sasuke and he couldn't hold them both any longer and they both fell back down on their butts. Ha ha! I said 'butts'.

"You are such a loser!" Sasuke yelled at the blonde and the rest of us began to laugh at the fail.

~Is This For Real?~

Later, after we all finished eating, Tazuna spoke up to us.

"In just a few more days, the bridge will be completed… And I have all of you to thank for that." He said to us.

"You've all done great, but you still have to be careful…" Tsunami added.

"I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance until now… Why did you stay and protect me even though you found out that I lied to bring you here?" Tazuna asked.

"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowards cannot survive…" Kakashi replied.

"Huh?" Tazuna and Tsunami looked at Kakashi confused.

"That was a quote from the First Hokage…" Kakashi explained. I saw Inari sneak a glance over at Naruto. That poor kid… Just then, tears began to fill his eyes. He was probably thinking about his father again. The tears strolled down his face and fell down onto the table.

"But why…?" Inari asked in a whisper.

"Huh?" Naruto asked. "What did you say?" Inari slammed his hands down onto the table.

"All of this stupid training is just a waste of time!" He yelled. Since when is climbing trees stupid? "Gato has a whole army! He'll beat you up and then he'll destroy you! These 'cool things' you all say, they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose…"

"Just speak for yourself…" Naruto said as he slouched down. "It won't be like that for me, you got that?"

"Why don't you just be quiet! Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country, you're just budding in! Always laughing and playing around, you don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!" Inari yelled back. Ah! The irony!

"Listen to yourself, whining and complaining like some sorry little victim!" Naruto yelled. "You can whimper all day for all I care… You're nothing but a coward!" Naruto yelled, making Inari cringe.

"Naruto, you went too far!" Sakura yelled at the blonde. Naruto growled and stood up and walked off. "Naruto…"

Inari continued to sob at what Naruto said. Kakashi looked over at him. Oh well, that's all that I can do… Kakashi can handle things from here. Besides, I'm tired. Nap time…

~Is This For Real?~

We all got up really early the next morning. Well, all of us except for Naruto… He slept in… Hey, we're not going to go through all of the trouble of waking up Sleeping Beauty… Today is the day we face Zabuza and Haku. I would've liked a few more days so then I could get back at Sasuke for all of those mean things, but he's probably thinking the same thing… I'm not sure about Kakashi though… I kind of smelt the vomit from before in my sleep… In my FREAKING SLEEP! I need my sleep… ANYWAY…!

"Well okay… I leave Naruto in your hands…" Kakashi stated before we were going to leave along with Sasuke, Sakura and the bridge builder. "He's pushed his body to the limit – overdoing it as usual… So, he might not be able to move today at all."

"What about you?" Tsunami asked Kakashi. "You're still recovering yourself."

"Why, do I look wobbly?" Kakashi joked. "I'll be okay."

"Come on," Tazuna began. "Let's go." And with that, we walked away from the house and began to walk towards the bridge. What gives that guy the right to give orders? We're not his slaves! I want to be the boss… Oh well… There's nothing that I can do about it…

~Is This For Real?~

We arrived at the bridge with a bunch of the bridge builders lying on the unfinished bridge, either moaning or they're unconscious…

"Hold on…" Tazuna began, shocked. "What the heck is this? What happened? Someone was here – someone got to them!"

"Could it be…?" Kakashi asked himself. I looked up at him and groaned.

"What a pain…" I said as I slouched. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse…" Actually, that was a lie, I knew the whole freaking time… Hey, I just stated the obvious! "Be prepared guys," I began as I drew out a kunai. "Zabuza and Ha-I mean the guy that was in the mask from earlier are coming…!"

Sasuke gave me a strange look, along with Sakura. I raised my eyebrows.

"Uh… I can see the mist coming in from here… It's coming…" I lied, but in a way, I told the truth… Don't judge me! It would be confusing if you were there! Whoa…

Suddenly, the mist became visible to the others and they all got into their positions.

"The mist…" Kakashi mumbled to himself. "Alright you three, get ready for this…!" He ordered as Sasuke and Sakura drew out their kunai knives. "I knew he was still alive… He just couldn't wait for round two…!"

"Kakashi Sensei, Melody, this is Zabuza's hidden Mist Jutsu, right…?" Sakura asked. I nodded.

"That's right…" I answered. "This is definitely Zabuza's technique – no doubt about it!"

"Sorry we kept you waiting, Kakashi…" Came a familiar voice. "I see you've still got those brats with you… That one's still trembling… Pitiful…" He said, referring to Sasuke.

The others' eyes widened as they all noticed the water clones of Zabuza surrounding all of us. I turned my head to face Sasuke, who was now grinning.

"I'm trembling with… Excitement…!" He corrected Zabuza. I smiled. It's even cooler when you hear it up close…! Wait… I have no time to be impressed, after all, Zabuza and Haku are right in front of us! Zabuza's eyes narrowed.

Kakashi smiled and turned to Sasuke. "Go on, Sasuke." He said.

One of the Zabuza clones swung his blade at the Uchiha, but Sasuke quickly dodged and jumped up in the air, slashing the water clones in half. Sasuke then landed perfectly on the ground without a scratch on him and all of the water clones splashed back into their water form. Sasuke should be a ballerina when he grows up!

"Ooh… So you could see that they were water clones, huh?" Zabuza asked as he and Haku showed themselves. Well, to be fair, it was pretty obvious. "The brat's improving… Looks like you've got a rival, Haku…"

"So it would seem." Haku replied as we had a staring contest with the two. Damn it, I blinked! Oh well. I clenched onto my kunai tighter as I sent a strong glare over to Zabuza. This just got real…

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto and Melody Voice-over)**_

(Naruto) Okay, I sleep in a _little_ late, and it turns out that everyone is gone facing Zabuza.

(Melody) You snooze, you lose, Naruto. Looks like we've got all of the action to ourselves…

(Naruto) Well, you should see Inari right now!

(Melody) Let me guess… It's Gato's thugs, isn't it?

(Naruto) How did you know…?

(Melody) It's obvious. Besides, Haku is a lot tougher than you would think, Naruto.

(Naruto) I'll be over there as soon as possible!

(Melody) Did you even hear what I just said?!

(Naruto/Melody) Next time… Haku's Secret Jutsu! Crystal Ice Mirrors!

(Naruto) I'll kick butt like never before!

_**EXTRA! (Sasuke's POV:)**_

I ran into the bathroom at top speed and once I found the sink I quickly spat the revolting drink into it, coughing from the awful taste. I looked into my reflection and smiled.

"No doubt about it now…" I said to myself. "Everything is adding up… It's her alright. The personality, the appearance, the pranks… It's her… I thought that she would be back, it was only a matter of time… It's hard to believe that she survived… After all of these years…"

Tears began to form in my eyes and soon, they began to stroll down my cheeks and dropped on the ground, still with a smile on my face.

"If _he_ finds out… Then… She would be in danger… I have to make sure that no one finds out about this…!" I wiped the tears away and took some deep breaths. I calmed myself down and walked out of the bathroom.

On the way out I noticed Kakashi rushing towards the bathroom. I smiled after he passed by me.

Classic Melody…

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**SonicShaymin2: I'm back from holidays! Sorry it took so long. I recently got a thing for One Piece…**_

_**Melody: ZORO!**_

_**Zoro: Damn it, Luffy! Help me!**_

_**Luffy: I would, but this meat is too tasty…**_

_**Zoro: What a great captain I have…**_

_**SonicShaymin2: What is Sasuke's secret?**_

_**Sasuke: You know, it's kind of weird if you say that while I'm here…**_

_**SonicShaymin2: … Luffy, can you enter some closing statements…?**_

_**Sasuke: DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!**_

_**Luffy: Please review! And get me some meat while you're at it…!**_

_**Zoro: SOMEONE, GET THIS GIRL OFF ME!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Good job Luffy! Minus the meat part…**_

_**Luffy: No problem!**_

_**Zoro: SOMEONE CALL 911!**_


	10. Haku's Secret Jutsu! Crystal Ice Mirrors

_**SonicShaymin2: Today, I have taken the time to invite the powerful Son Goku to the… Place that we are currently in!**_

_**Goku: Hey guys!**_

_**Naruto: Okay… So first it was pirates… And now it's some martial artists…?**_

_**SonicShaymin2: That is half correct… Zoro is pinned to that wall over there.**_

_**Zoro: *Mouths* Help me…!**_

_**Sasuke: And I thought that **_**my**_** fan-club was crazy…**_

_**Melody: I'm not crazy! YOU'RE CRAZY!**_

_**Goku: Whatever happened to the story that I was in?**_

_**SonicShaymin2: BLAME THE WRITER'S BLOCK!**_

_**Sakura: Goku, we would love it if you did the disclaimer for us.**_

_**Goku: OKAY! We do NOT own Naruto. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and all other related products are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. Please support the official releases.**_

_**Zoro: And can SOMEBODY please HELP ME!**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**OathKeeper16 – I don't mind Naruto. He's just so fun to mess with though. And yes, Sasuke is acting… STRANGE! Thanks for the review!**_

_**OathKeeper16 – I think I might've made the Sasuke and Melody talk a bit cheesy… But it did turn out alright… I just hope I can make more moments like that in this story… And yeah, he is talking about Melody and crying… It will all make sense soon… As in… Chunin Exams soon.**_

_**OathKeeper16 – A Saiyan maybe? I LOVED typing the prank war down! I also liked the walk with Sasuke and Melody too! I couldn't think of a random thing for Naruto to do, so I just thought that I would make him dance! I'm not sure how to actually put some protective scenes in the battles yet… I usually think about it over night… Sasuke might turn into a super Saiyan if she gets hurt!**_

_**Thanks for the review!**_

_**MorgannePhaedras – I LOVE hearing people's predictions! Thanks for sending in one! I know what you're saying about the translator! This story has its head up its own behind right now, but that's beside the point… I will try to keep this as hilarious as possible! Thanks for the review!**_

_**Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do…**_

_**Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do…**_

_**Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do…!**_

_**DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO…!**_

_**DA, DA, DA, DA!**_

_**WE ARE NOW IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS OF REVIEWS! LET'S SEE HOW MANY WE CAN GET ON THIS CHAPTER ALONE…!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

"_The mist…" Kakashi mumbled to himself. "Alright you three, get ready for this…!" He ordered as Sasuke and Sakura drew out their kunai knives. "I knew he was still alive… He just couldn't wait for round two…!"_

"_Kakashi Sensei, Melody, this is Zabuza's hidden Mist Jutsu, right…?" Sakura asked. I nodded._

"_That's right…" I answered. "This is definitely Zabuza's technique – no doubt about it!"_

"_Sorry we kept you waiting, Kakashi…" Came a familiar voice. "I see you've still got those brats with you… That one's still trembling… Pitiful…" He said, referring to Sasuke._

_The others' eyes widened as they all noticed the water clones of Zabuza surrounding all of us. I turned my head to face Sasuke, who was now grinning._

"_I'm trembling with… Excitement…!" He corrected Zabuza. I smiled. Zabuza's eyes narrowed._

"_He's all yours Sasuke!" Kakashi said with a smile as he turned to face the Uchiha._

_One of the Zabuza clones swung his blade at the Uchiha, but Sasuke quickly dodged and jumped up in the air, slashing the water clones in half. Sasuke then landed perfectly on the ground without a scratch on him and all of the water clones splashed back into their water form. Sasuke should be a ballerina when he grows up!_

"_Ooh… So you could see that they were water clones, huh?" Zabuza asked as he and Haku showed themselves. Well, to be fair, it was pretty obvious. "The brat's improving… Looks like you've got a rival, Haku…"_

"_So it would seem." Haku replied as we had a staring contest with the two. Damn it, I blinked! Oh well. I clenched onto my kunai tighter as I sent a strong glare over to Zabuza. This just got real…_

-Line Break-

We continued our staring contest until Kakashi broke the awkward silence.

"Well, well, well… So I had it right… It was all an act…" He said.

"An act?" Tazuna exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"…With a cute little mask…" Kakashi finished. Sakura's mouth dropped and I did the exact same. You've got to be kidding me! Cute? Well… Maybe a little… Um… You heard nothing!

"You're a big phony…" Sasuke stated. "Heh!"

"So I guess all of that about being a tracker ninja protecting his village was just a load of bull!" Tazuna said.

"They look pretty chummy to me…" Kakashi announced. "I'd say that they have been pulling scams like that for a long time…"

"He's got some nerve facing us again after that trick…!" Sakura growled angrily.

"And hiding behind that mask… Who does he think he's fooling?" Kakashi asked. I snickered. Says him… We never see _his_ face…!

Sakura coughed. "Speak for yourself, sensei…" She said to him. I nodded in agreement.

"That's it…" Sasuke began. Sakura gasped. "I'm taking him out…! Who does he think he's fooling…? Hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown…"

Sakura smiled. "Sasuke, you're so cool!" She said. I held in a laugh as Kakashi's ego shattered.

"Let me guess… You're thinking how unfair it is that you already said that and that you got what seemed to be an insult, while Sasuke got another compliment…" I tapped his back. "The world's an unfair place Kakashi Sensei…" I turned to Sasuke.

"You're going to let me help right?"

Sasuke turned to me with unreadable emotions in his eyes.

"No." He said sternly.

"Sasuke, you don't know this guy!" I hissed. "You don't know what his moves are, his Jutsu-"

"Melody!" Sasuke interrupted. "Just let me handle this for now…! Don't interfere unless you really need to!"

I was taken aback by this. "Sasuke-!" I stopped myself and sighed. "Fine…" I gave up with a frown.

Sasuke probably thinks that he can defeat Haku all by himself, but… The only question is…

Why is Sasuke so concerned for me?

I overheard Zabuza and Haku mumbling things to each-other.

"He's impressive." Haku said to Zabuza, who huffed. "Even though they were just one tenth of the original strength of the Water Clone Jutsu, he did destroy them all…" The young boy reasoned.

"That move still gave us the first advantage. Now use it!" Zabuza replied.

"Right." Haku answered, and he spun around so fast that it created a tornado around him while he was speeding towards Sasuke.

"What's this?" Sasuke asked as he took a step back and the spinning Haku continued to race his way towards the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked and held out two kunai in front of him.

I just hope things don't go wrong… And I hope my being here doesn't affect Naruto and Inari either…

_**Episode thirteen:**_

_**Haku's Secret Jutsu! Crystal Ice Mirrors!**_

The two Shinobi clashed banging their weapons with one another. Sasuke with his kunai knife and Haku with one of his needles. Sasuke and Haku tried to push the other's weapon away with their own with all of their force.

Kakashi held out an arm beside him and looked at me and Sakura.

"Sakura, Melody! I want you two to guard Tazuna and stay close to me at all times!" He ordered us.

"Right!" Sakura replied and then jumped in front of Tazuna with I kunai knife clenched tightly in her fist. I turned to Kakashi, feeling the need to argue, but instead I moved to the side of Tazuna with a kunai in each hand.

Sasuke and Haku finally jumped away from each-other, (which only took them a bazillion years) and then they rushed towards each-other once again and they both spun around one another and their weapons clashed with each-other once again with incredible force. Then Haku spoke up.

"We want the bridge builder, not you." He said to the raven-haired Uchiha. "If you want to back down, I won't have to kill you."

"Save it!" Sasuke said with a grin across his face.

"You're making a mistake." Haku reasoned. "You won't be able to keep up with my speed. I've gained two key advantages."

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked. "What are they?"

"First, we're surrounded by water." Haku answered. "Second, I've blocked one of your hands. Therefore, you only have one free hand to defend yourself…" Haku said as he made a hand sign with only one of his hands. Is this a math's lesson, or a battle? Sasuke's eyes widened as he noticed Haku's trick.

Haku began to make some fast movements with his hand, also making Kakashi's eyes widen. I know what he's planning…

Haku finished making his hand signs and held his hand out in front of him. **"Secret Jutsu… A Thousand Needles of Death!"** Haku announced and stomped one of his feet onto the ground, which made some of the surrounding water splash up above them.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed. I smiled.

"He can handle it…" I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. I turned to her.

"We didn't just climb those trees for nothing!" I said with a smile. "Sasuke just needs to do a little Chakra trick." I looked back at the fight.

The water that splashed up transformed into needles that pointed down at Sasuke. Sasuke continued blocking Haku's needle with one hand and with the other he made the same hand sign that we all made earlier to concentrate our Chakra when we were climbing trees. The needles then sped their way towards him.

Before the needles shot down at them, Haku quickly jumped out of the way and the needles splashed down where Sasuke was standing. I looked up at the sky to see Sasuke up there, who had jumped out of there in the nick of time. I smirked. Haku glanced at where the needles had splashed back into water and gasped.

"He vanished…!" He gasped in surprise. He then looked up at Sasuke who threw three shuriken towards him, but Haku easily dodged them, backing away. Sasuke appeared right behind him with a smirk still attached to his face.

"You're not as fast as you think! From this point on… You'll be the one defending against my attacks!" He announced as he drew his kunai again. Haku quickly moved away and Sasuke also moved to the opposite direction. He then charged towards Haku and they banged their arms against each-other. Sasuke then flicked his kunai at Haku, but it was dodged and sent up in the sky.

Once Haku crouched down, Sasuke kicked him in the gut, sending him flying away. Haku landed with a thud in front of Zabuza. Zabuza stared down at Haku in shock. He then looked up at Sasuke.

"Thought that you were quicker, huh?" Sasuke said. "Now what else are you wrong about?"

"You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats!" Kakashi said to Zabuza."That's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude! He's the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village. Sakura is our sharpest mind too!" Sakura then poked her tongue out with a giggle. "Melody here is the most unpredictable…!"

I'm going to be nice and take that as a compliment…

"And last, but not least… Our number one hyperactive ninja is Naruto Uzumaki!" Kakashi announced.

I'll show Naruto full name later… Honestly, I don't know if Naruto should be proud or offended… He's going to sneeze soon for sure! Anyway, speaking about that guy… I wonder how he is going… I hope that I haven't changed the fabric of time and space or anything… Nah! That kind of stuff only happens in the movies… Heh. Heh. Heh… Oh wait… _Crap!_

_-Line break-_

We stared at Zabuza and Haku in silence until Zabuza began his fit of chuckles. Everyone else looked at him in confusion like, 'what the hell?'.

"Hm… Haku, if we keep going like this we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it!"Zabuza ordered as Haku stood back up on his feet.

"Right." Haku answered, and then out of the blue, blue chakra flowed around Haku's entire body. My eyes widened. Crystal Ice Mirrors…!

"What's that?" Sasuke asked Haku. Haku remained silent for a while, but soon spoke up.

"I'm sorry that it's come to this…" He said, ignoring Sasuke's question.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "The air… Is cold…?" He asked himself in disbelief. He then cocked his head to the side.

Haku made clapped his hands together with his fingers crossed, forming a hand sign.

"Sasuke !" I screamed as I ran towards the Uchiha.

"Melody, come back here!" Kakashi yelled at me with worry. But I ignored his order and I kept on running. Sasuke turned his head around to face me.

"Melody! Get the hell back!" He screamed, but once again, I ignored the orders that my teammates yelled at me and kept on running.

"Get out of there, Sasuke!" I screamed. But I was too late and the Crystal Ice Mirrors were already beginning to form. Sasuke's eyes widened as he noticed all of the mirrors made out of ice surrounding him.

I continued to run and I was planning on pushing Sasuke out of there, but the water surrounding me caused my feet to keep on moving. I couldn't stop until I was in the circle.

"Sasuke, we have to get the cheese cakes out of here!" I advised Sasuke. He opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly spoke again. "I don't have time to explain, we just have to get out of here and-"

I was going to finish my epic heroic sentence, but then I realized that the Crystal Ice Mirrors had finished forming. Sasuke and I looked around at the mirrors.

"Crap in a bucket…" I muttered under my breath. I turned to Sasuke. "Now… At this point, a jerk might say, 'I told you so'…" I waited a couple of seconds. "I told you so!" I yelled as I pointed a finger at Sasuke, who looked like he wanted to rip me apart limb from limb.

"Did you know?" Sasuke asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah? So? I'm not stupid!" I answered. "Like a certain Uchiha I know…" I muttered under my breath.

Sasuke glared at me, but continued. "…And you couldn't have said anything sooner because…?"

"You were the one who kept on screaming out. 'get back! Don't interfere!'." I said, waving my hands on either side of my head.

"…"

I smiled. I win. He loses. Ta ta. See you later…

"Are you saying that you're better than me?" Sasuke asked with his arms folded in front of his chest.

"Well, if I recall I didn't get my entire body – minus my head – stuck in the ground!" I retorted.

Sasuke groaned and then he pouted. Only one thing to make this better.

"Isn't that right…? Duck Butt…?" I asked.

Sasuke growled angrily at my smart remark.

"_**Crystal Ice Mirrors!" **_Haku called out.

"Oh... Right… Somehow, I completely forgot about that…" I said as I scratched my cheek.

Haku was walking towards the mirror; until I called out, "Wait!"

Haku stopped and looked at me.

"Do you have any cheeto's?" I asked.

Sasuke's mouth dropped. "Are you serious?" He screamed.

I turned to him. "Yes. How else am I supposed to beat the ever loving crap out of him if I don't have any energy?"

Sasuke groaned, annoyed.

"Asuke ixne on the rap clay…!" I hissed.

"What?" Sasuke asked, confused.

I sighed.

"If you're trying to do Pig Latin, then that's not really good…" Sasuke said, shaking his head.

"I try!" I screamed.

"So, is this guy supposed to walk into the mirror?" Sasuke asked me as he pointed over in Haku's direction. I looked over. I slouched over. My plan failed… I was trying to distract him so then I could land a punch on him… Oh well… Just as long as no one gets seriously hurt or dies then everything should be fine…

I noticed that Kakashi was trying to run to us, but the party pooper Zabuza got in his way.

"If you enter this fight…" I heard Zabuza say. "You fight me! Those two students of yours don't stand a chance in hell against that Jutsu. They're both finished!"

I looked back at all of the Crystal Ice Mirrors with a frown. Well that didn't change. It's going to be freaking annoying trying to defeat this guy. But we've got to do it anyway…

"Now…" Haku spoke up. "We'll all begin. And I'll show both of you what speed really means…" Oh so you're going to take us to Sonic the Hedgehog's house then? Ba doom… Ting! Um… Back to reality!

Haku prepared his needles. And was about to throw them, but I was prepared.

"Watch out for needles…" I said as I looked at my nails in boredom.

"Wha-"

Whoosh! Sasuke's sleeve was torn up while I merely stepped to the side.

Man! Look at these nails of mine! I need a manicure! As in… Real bad!

Another needle came in from behind Sasuke and ripped his other sleeve. I just stepped to the side to dodge.

Maybe I'll book in for a pedicure too… Nah! I don't need people looking at my feet! They would be invading my P-biz…

"God damn it, Melody! Stop looking at your fingers and help me!" Sasuke yelled at me as he was repeatedly getting struck by the needles.

"I'm not just looking at my fingers!" I yelled back at him. "I'm dodging too!" Well… Actually, I'm dodging while Sasuke is getting owned.

The needles eventually knocked Sasuke's kunai out of his hand, sending it flying somewhere else.

"Sasuke!" I heard Sakura scream.

I sighed. "Fine…" I said as I ran over in front of him and began to deflect the needles with my kunai knife.

Come on Naruto… I can't protect this guy all day… Hey, I'm getting pretty good at this… Maybe I should open my own dojo… It will be called… Um… Okay so I haven't thought of a name yet, the idea of a dojo is a good idea already so you can't really blame me… Much…

I turned around and noticed that Sakura was running towards us with a kunai knife in her hand. If I were a fangirl –which I'm not – I would've kept that kunai… After all, it was Sasuke's… That means that Naruto should be here soon… Which means that it's nearly the end of the episode… Which means that I have just broken the fourth wall… Which means that I am a terrible person… Tee hee!

Sakura jumped in the air – more like five feet – and threw the kunai towards the dome.

"Take this!" She yelled out.

When the kunai was coming towards us, Haku's arm reached out of the Ice Mirror and easily caught it. The rain of needles stopped for a moment and Sasuke fell down on his knees panting for air. I glared at Haku who simply spun the kunai knife around in his hand.

Once Sakura landed, she gasped once she looked at what Haku held in his hand. "He caught it!" She said in disbelief.

I smiled with a light chuckle escaping my mouth.

"Hey Haku!" I said getting his attention. "What has two thumbs and is about to be hit by a shuriken?" I called out when a shuriken came rushing towards Haku from behind. When it hit him, it knocked him out of the Crystal Ice Mirror and he landed with a loud thud on the ground.

"The answer is you…" I replied with my arms folded. I felt so epic. I just wish it was all on camera… Wait… It is!

With my all new… Wait this is not the time! I have already done this enough. Seriously serious face mode activate!

Haku made it to his knees and sat up, grunting in slight pain. My smile grew.

A large puff of smoke appeared out of nowhere and we all stared at it.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked. Inspector Gadget!

Haku made it to his feet as he said to himself, "Number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja…"

The puff of smoke soon faded away, revealing the blonde idiot.

"Naruto Uzumaki… Is here…! Yeah! Believe it!" He said with a cocky grin across his face.

I shook my head with the smile still glued onto my face. "Naruto, son of a gun… I knew you'd come…"

Seriously! Someone get a camera and write that line down!

-Double line break-

_**Episode Fourteen:**_

_**The Number One Hyperactivate, Knucklehead Ninja Joins the Fight!**_

We continued to stare at Naruto for a while and waited for him to finally say something stupid.

"Ha! Now that I'm here everything will be alright!" He boasted with pride.

Tazuna gasped while Sakura smiled with joy. "Naruto!" She squealed happily.

"You know how in stories the hero usually shows up at the last minute and then kicks butt…?" Naruto asked and then he pointed a finger at Zabuza. "…Well that's what I'm going to do right now!"

Zabuza looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye and then he let a groan escape his mouth. "This brat again…"

I looked down at Sasuke who was giving Naruto a strange look. I bit my lip to hold in my laughter. He should win the 'best face of the year' award! Because that face is totally priceless! I looked at Kakashi who was also giving Naruto a look. Naruto surely knows how to fail!

Haku stared at Naruto for a while. Haku must be mad about Naruto forgetting their one day anniversary.

"All… Right! You're history!" Naruto announced and then he made a hand sign. _**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**_

Zabuza's eyes widened along with Kakashi's.

Zabuza quickly threw some shuriken towards Naruto's direction while Kakashi called out, "No!"

Naruto released his hand sign as his eyes widened in shock.

"Naruto, move!" Kakashi yelled out at the blonde, but Naruto continued to stare at the shuriken speeding towards him. However, Haku quickly threw some of his throwing needles at the spinning shuriken, stopping them from getting close to Naruto. Everyone else's eyes widened with surprise at this sudden act. And the shuriken and needles soon fell to the ground. Naruto looked up at Haku.

"He didn't get him…!" Sakura gasped with relief in her voice.

"The weapons cancelled each other out – amazing!" Tazuna exclaimed. "Now that's what I call lucky, I think…"

"What are you doing Naruto, are you crazy?" Sakura screamed.

"This is a battle, not a talent show! Don't let your opponent see your Jutsu!" Kakashi scolded. Naruto gasped, realizing his mistake that he had just made. If I was a judge of a talent show, Sasuke would be sucking right about now… "The Shinobi's art is deception. Always keep the enemy guessing. Even was executing a single Jutsu, one must distract their opponent's attention. Catch them off balance, and outmaneuver them! You just turn yourself into a human target if you enter a battle like that!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he held his head from both sides and let out a loud scream. "Argh! I'm sorry! I was just trying to rescue everybody!" He yelled. By everybody, he means Sasuke. I was doing fine on my own.

"But…" Kakashi began as he glanced over at Haku. "There's another mystery here…"

Zabuza narrowed his eyes at Haku. "Haku… What are you doing?"

"Zabuza…" Haku began. "This boy… Let me fight him my own way… Please?"

Naruto stepped forward. "Bring. It. On!" Naruto yelled at Haku's statement.

Zabuza huffed as he looked at Haku from the corner of his eye. "So, you want me to leave this to you…? Is that it Haku?"

No reply…

"As usual, you're too soft." Zabuza continued.

Haku looked down at his feet. "Forgive me…"

Sasuke looked up at Haku in confusion and then looked at all of the scratches that he had earned, and then back up at Haku. Sasuke's eyes narrowed with anger. Jealously is an ugly thing, Sasuke…

"I'm warning you…!" Naruto yelled at Haku and then pointed a finger at him. "One way or another, I'm going to rip off that mask and take you down!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and I could tell that he wanted to step in, but Zabuza quickly moved in front of him.

"Don't even think about it…!" Zabuza hissed. "You know the score, Kakashi. If you go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder." Kakashi's eyes widened, and then narrowed again. He looked back at Tazuna and Sakura from the corner of his eye.

"Relax Kakashi…" Zabuza said, making Kakashi look back at him. "Sit back and enjoy the show. Let' see how they do one on one…"

"That mask… And that bogus story! You were with Zabuza all along!" Naruto yelled. Gee… What was your first clue, Sherlock? "Do you think that you can get away with a stunt like that?"

"…I'm sorry…" Haku apologized, taking Naruto aback. "But as your sensei said… Deceiving your opponent, catching them off guard… _That_ is the art of the Shinobi… Please don't take it personally…"

Sasuke grabbed a kunai knife out of his ninja tools' pocket and threw it straight at Haku, who easily moved his head back to dodge the attack. See Sasuke? Dodging is not that hard! Sasuke's eyes widened. Naruto gasped and looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" He asked with confusion. "Melody? What is going on?" He yelled. But I knew that we wouldn't have the time to explain everything to him yet…

"I haven't forgotten about you…" Haku said. "Not for an instant." He then looked at us. "Some warriors accept defeat gracefully… They know when they are beaten. Others do not! So be it…! Let us finish our battle… To the death!" He finished as he began to walk towards us. About what Haku saying stuff about some warriors accept defeat and all of that… Well, unlike Sasuke, some warriors also know when to dodge as well!

"Wha- Hey where are you going?" Naruto yelled. Before Haku walked into the mirror he said, "It's alright, Naruto. We'll have our fight next!" He then walked into the mirror again, making Naruto growl with anger. Sasuke's eyes narrowed along with mine. I clenched my kunai tightly, preparing for what was about to happen next. Sasuke looked around at the mirrors with a scowl on his face. Sasuke was reaching for another weapon when we heard Haku say,

"I'm behind you…"

Sasuke's eyes widened and looked back up the mirror where Haku was before. He looked behind him to face Haku. I did the same. And suddenly, all of the mirrors had Haku appearing in them too with needles in between his fingers.

The rain of needles was back and I quickly yelled out, "Sasuke, get ready!" And before I could do anything else, the needles were ripping our clothes apart and blood was gushing out of our skin when the sharp needles scraped us. Okay… That tears it… This adventure sucks! I couldn't help it and my grunts of pain accidently escaped my mouth. Maybe dodging is a bit hard once you think about it… Sasuke and I both landed opposite to each other on the ground.

"Sasuke! Melody!" Sakura screamed.

"Sasuke! Melody!" Naruto also screamed as his eyes widened with shock.

Sasuke and I both grunted as we sat up. Okay, we both really need to learn how to dodge… Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he stared at the Ice Mirrors surrounding us.

"Hey, all of you!" Kakashi yelled out to us. "Use your heads and think! You need to attack from the outside and the inside at the same time!" He advised us. Uh oh…

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in thought as he looked around at the Ice Mirrors. Am I supposed to remember something?

From behind us, Naruto popped out of nowhere, scaring me half to death.

"Hey!" He whispered. "I snuck in here to save you two!"

Sasuke's eyes widened and so did mine as the Uchiha gasped.

"Cool move, huh you two?" Naruto said. Sasuke growled in anger as he raised a fist.

From the distance, I heard Kakashi mumble, "Naruto… You sneak up on your enemy, not your allies…"

"You are a complete loser!" Sasuke yelled at the confused blonde. "You're a Shinobi! Think carefully before you move!"

"What the heck is your problem?" Naruto spat. "You should thank me for coming in here to help you!"

Oh boy… Is this kid death? By this rate, the argument could go on forever… I sighed with a sweat-drop.

"Naruto if we're all inside here…" Sasuke trailed off with a loud growl and looked at the ground. "Forget it! I've had it with your mistakes…!"

I looked at one of the Crystal Ice Mirrors and raised an eyebrow and shrugged. It's official… I have gone on one of the most craziest teams in the whole entire ninja world… My eyes widened when Haku readied his needles.

"Um… Guys…?" I asked shakily.

"And I've had it with your attitude!" Naruto yelled back at Sasuke. "Believe it!"

Suddenly, Haku threw some needles at me.

"Guys! For the love of Kami! Someone help me!" I screamed as the needles cut my skin.

The boys' heads shot up at me and they immediately shut up.

"Melody!" The both of them yelled with concern. Wait… Sasuke… And concerned…? This is the apocalypse! I slammed into the ground hard. And before you ask… Yes… My face is on the ground…

"You two… Are going to die… Someday…" I muttered with my face still stuck on the ground. I picked myself off of the ground and brushed myself off.

"But that didn't…" I began until Sasuke cut me off.

"That's it!" He yelled with anger as he stood up and did his hand signs. "I'm going to _burn_ you to the ground!"

"_**Fire Style…" **_He began. I blinked. Two words. Anger. Management. I suggest that he starts to take classes.

"Hurt…" I finished my earlier statement.

"Sasuke… That attack isn't going to work…" I sighed.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed. He turned to me. "Wait… Why won't it work…?"

I slapped a hand against my head. "You can try it if you want to Sasuke… But this Ice isn't going to melt…" I ignored Naruto.

"Doesn't matter…" Sasuke said. "It's worth a shot…" I sighed. I'm surrounded by buffoons…

"_**Fire Ball Jutsu!"**_ Sasuke yelled (He was still pretty mad too.) and he breathed a ball of fire out of his mouth and aimed it at the Ice Mirrors in front of him. He stopped as the flames were spreading on the Ice Mirrors, but the Jutsu didn't make too much of a difference. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Once again… I so freaking told you so!" I yelled at Sasuke who growled at me.

"Shut it!" He yelled.

"When you're finally right about something!" I yelled back.

"Do you want me to fire ball you?" He yelled.

"Whoo!" Naruto called out. "Not me!"

"Shut it, Naruto!" Sasuke and I yelled at him.

"Okay… Now it's me…" Naruto mumbled.

The flames have finally blown out and Naruto stood up and stomped his foot on the ground.

"Yeah! That didn't do anything at all!" He shouted.

"Shut it, you loser!" Sasuke yelled back.

"He's right. It didn't." I agreed with Naruto as I nodded my head.

"Would you be quiet?" Sasuke yelled at me.

"No."

Sasuke growled angrily and punched the ground.

"Once again, Sasuke… What did that ground ever do to you?" I yelled.

"Anyway…" Haku said, interrupting us. "You will need much more heat than that to melt this ice…"

Sasuke was so frustrated that he punched the ground multiple times.

"Okay… SASUKE! STOP HITTING THAT POOR GROUND!" I yelled. "Be calm!"

"I AM CALM!" Sasuke yelled back at me.

"Oh… You're so convincing…" I said sarcastically, waving my hands in the air.

Sasuke growled but stayed quiet.

"Guys, he's going to attack again!" Naruto yelled out to us. Did I mention that it is impossible to remember everything…? No. Well it is!

Haku prepared his needles and soon began to throw them at us. Blood was splashing everywhere as we let out our screams of pain. And we somehow managed to land on our butts gracefully… Okay maybe not the boys, but I did! Don't ask how… But I did… They should consider taking classes on how to land on their butts wonderfully.

Naruto sat up. "Where is he?" He asked. "Where's the needle attack coming at us from? Are they clones?" He stood up. "We've got to find the real one. Which one is it?"

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like…" Haku said to us. "You'll never learn the secret."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked as he made a hand sign. _**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**_

Sasuke turned to him. "No don't!" He yelled.

"We can't stop him…" I sighed.

A bunch of Naruto's appeared out of a puff of smoke and then charged at Haku.

"You've got a hundred mirrors? Then a hundred of me will smash them all! Then we'll find out where you really are!" The cloned all yelled out.

I could only see Haku leave the Ice Mirror, but after that it was just a blur. Sasuke and I heard the grunts of pain from all of the clones. Soon, all of the clones disappeared and the real Naruto was plummeting back to fell on his side.

"These mirrors only reflect my image." Haku told us. "Allowing myself to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes… You appear to be moving in slow motion." Haku said.

"…I couldn't break through…" Naruto growled. Sasuke and I turned to him. "So what? He's not going to stop me!" Haku gasped. "I'm not giving up and I'm not going to lose here! Because I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me!"

Naruto… That line sounds a little too much like a 4kids dialogue…

"Someday I will be respective in my village! To be the greatest Hokage – that's my dream!" Naruto finished. I wish I had the ability to see flashbacks. Because that is what Haku is having!

"It was not my desire to become a Shinobi… It's painful. I don't want to kill you. But if you advance, I will have no choice." Haku said. I blinked. "Then I will kill the kindness in my own heart. And fully embrace the Shinobi way. And there will be no mercy. No turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide. Now I must fight for my dream. Just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me. I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him. And I'd face death for him. So then his dream may be become reality. That is my dream and for the sake of that dream, if I must, I will act as a Shinobi and take your lives!" Haku said as he took out a needle.

Naruto, Sasuke and I all smiled as we stared at Haku with tension. It will only take us about five episodes to defeat these guys…

Wait… I said what now…

"Come at me bro!"

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Melody Voice-over)**_

(Naruto) Crystal Ice Mirrors… I know your game! And I finally know how to beat it too!

(Melody) Ah! It looks like there is a brain in that oversized head of yours!

(Naruto) Don't talk about Sakura that way!

(Melody) I didn't say anything about Sakura.

(Sakura) What did you say about my forehead, Naruto?

(Naruto) Uh… Sasuke, let's get out of here so then we can rescue the bridge builder and run away from Sakura!

(Sasuke) You are such a loser! Concentrate!

(Melody) Yeah! What he said!

(Sasuke) You shouldn't be talking! You left me for dead!

(Melody) It was only the one time…

(Naruto and Melody) Next time…

_**Zero Visibility!**_

_**The Sharingan Shatters!**_

(Melody) I'm going to save the day!

(Naruto) No! I am!

_**EXTRA! (? POV)**_

"I hate being in this place…" I growled angrily. "Once I find her I need to make sure that this never happens again…!" I folded my arms and thought for a moment.

"Maybe… The Hidden Leaf Village!"

That is the only place where she could be…

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**SonicShaymin2 – Any predictions who this person is.**_

_**Bakura – Maybe it's Zorc…**_

_**Melody – Oh my god! A British person! And he's not a ninja!**_

_**Bakura – Stop being annoying…**_

_**Melody – When you say 'please'.**_

_**Bakura – I'm not going to say that word!**_

_**Melody - *cries in the corner***_

_**Bakura – What is she doing?**_

_**Sasuke - *Death glare of the century* **_

_**Bakura – Do you want to go to the Shadow Realm?**_

_**Melody – I'll go to the Shadow Realm with you!**_

_**Sasuke – Great… Another guy that she likes…**_

_**Zoro – Let me go! Tie him up instead!**_

_**Melody – No.**_

_**Bakura – I'm going…**_

_**Melody – Turn into your nice self…**_

_**Bakura – Why the hell would I do that?**_

_**Melody – I want him to do something.**_

_**Bakura – Fine…**_

_**Melody – Hi Ryou!**_

_**Ryou – Hi!**_

_**Melody – Can you tell people to review…?**_

_**Sasuke – You just did…**_

_**Melody – You're a party pooper… ~When there's a party there's bound to be a pooper… Party pooper~**_

_**Sasuke – Be quiet!**_

_**Ryou – Please review. We would all appreciate it! Thank you!**_

_**Zoro – I'm out of here… *Walks away***_

_**Melody – NO!**_

_**Sasuke – Let him go.**_

_**Melody - *cries in the corner***_

_**Sasuke – Sorry…**_


	11. Zero Visability! The Broken Seal!

_**Melody – Once again, it is another chapter in the Zabuza arc.**_

_**Naruto – You make that sound like a bad thing.**_

_**Sasuke – She's just mad that all of the guys that were in here before are gone.**_

_**Melody – That's not true... Yamcha is here!**_

_**Yamcha – Hey guys!**_

_**Sasuke – Oh come on!**_

_**Sakura – How do these people keep getting in here?**_

_**Yamcha – I flew up here!**_

_**Naruto – Hahahaha!**_

_**Yamcha – What?**_

_**Naruto – You think that you can fly!**_

_**Yamcha – I can also beat twelve year olds half to death.**_

_**Naruto – Uh oh...**_

_**Melody – Before you kill Naruto Yamcha, can you do the disclaimer?**_

_**Yamcha – Sure thing. We do not own Naruto. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and all other related products are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. Please support the official release. And support the 'Yamcha is going to kick the absolute crap out of this twelve year old blonde runt' Corp.**_

_**Melody – That's smarts...**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers:**_

_**SonomiTakashia – Well, here's more! Thanks for the review!**_

_**OathKeeper16 – Sasuke and Melody will have way more fights to come. I say around twenty at the minimum. I feel so sorry for Naruto. I feel guilty about writing about him like that, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I hope you enjoy the rest of the fight, even though it is extremely hard to think of new cheese to write about. Thanks for the review!**_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Melody's POV:**

Haku prepared his needles and soon began to throw them at us. Blood was splashing everywhere as we let out our screams of pain. And we somehow managed to land on our butts gracefully…

Naruto sat up. "Where is he?" He asked. "Where's the needle attack coming at us from? Are they clones?" He stood up. "We've got to find the real one. Which one is it?"

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like…" Haku said to us. "You'll never learn the secret."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked as he made a hand sign. _**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**_

Sasuke turned to him. "No don't!" He yelled.

"We can't stop him…" I sighed.

I could only see Haku leave the Ice Mirror, but after that it was just a blur. Sasuke and I heard the grunts of pain from all of the clones. Soon, all of the clones disappeared and the real Naruto was plummeting back to fell on his side.

"These mirrors only reflect my image." Haku told us. "Allowing myself to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes… You appear to be moving in slow motion." Haku said.

"…I couldn't break through…" Naruto growled. Sasuke and I turned to him. "So what? He's not going to stop me!" Haku gasped. "I'm not giving up and I'm not going to die here! Because I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me! Someday I will be respected in my village! To be the greatest Hokage – that's my dream!"

"This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide. Now I must fight for my dream. Just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me. I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him. And I'd face death for him. So then his dream may be become reality. That is my dream and for the sake of that dream, if I must, I will act as a Shinobi and take your lives!" Haku said as he took out a needle.

_**Episode Fifteen:**_

_**Zero visibility! The Sharingan Shatters!**_

We stared at Haku anxiously. I sighed and glanced over at the boys. Sure... Some things have been the same... But... There are some things that are different.

"_Guys! For the love of Kami! Someone help me!" I screamed as the needles cut my skin._

_The boys' heads shot up at me and they immediately shut up._

"_Melody!" Naruto and Sasuke called out with concern._

For one thing, Sasuke seems a little more protective than he usually is. It's completely different. And... What about him and that pranking of his...?

"_Give me that bowl of rice… Please…" I asked. Sasuke narrowed his eyes._

"_Fine…" He said as he handed me a bowl._

"_Thank you!" I looked into the bowl. "This isn't rice… It looks like rice that has been stomped into the dirt…" I complained._

"_Well, it hasn't…" Sasuke replied. "Where did you even get that idea anyway…?"_

_I lowered my head. "No where… At all…" I replied as I gobbled on my rice. It really did taste like dirt though… I noticed a grin on Sasuke's face._

"_It's been in the dog's business…" He corrected me. My eyes widened and I immediately did a spit-take. I then grabbed a hold of my glass of water and poured it in my mouth, and then I spat that water back into the cup._

"_You jerk face!" I screamed at the Uchiha. "Why the hell did you do that for?"_

"_That's for calling me 'Duck Butt'…" Sasuke replied._

I bit my lip. Great... I must've done something to the universe. That is the last thing that I need on my conscious.

I mean... Things happen for a reason... Right? There's got to be some other reason that I'm here other than that wish that I made...

But, I had better think of that later. I need to concentrate on helping Naruto and Sasuke as much as I can. Hopefully, I don't mess up anything here... Or it could destroy the fabric of the universe.

"I didn't get to him..." Naruto growled. "Then I'll try it again! As many times as it takes!" He made a hand sign. _**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**_ Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Naruto!" He yelled. "Don't!" But it was already too late. Naruto had already activated the Jutsu and a load of Naruto's appeared that once again, charged at the Crystal Ice Mirrors.

So, I have to make sure that Sasuke learns the Sharingan here. And the only real way to beat this guy (Or at least get close) is if Naruto turns into the kyuubi mode. So here is the plan. I stand here completely still doing nothing at all! Much like a filler episode of Naruto.

Sasuke and I stared as the Naruto clones were taken down. My eyes widened.

"Sasuke!" I yelled at the Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes darted towards me. He then quickly dashed over to me. What's happening? Why is he running towards me? Unless...

Sasuke quickly pushed me out of the way, causing me to land on my back and for him to be attacked by the throwing needles instead. His grunts of pain left his mouth and he landed back onto the ground.

"Sasuke! Are you okay?" I yelled.

"Yeah..." Sasuke grunted. "I'm fine...!"

Meanwhile, Naruto's Shadow Clones were being taken down, one after the other and eventually the real Naruto was hit and he came plummeting to the ground and landed with a loud thud. I growled at Haku as I stood back up.

"How is he doing that?" Naruto screamed as Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He stood up and smirked. I blinked. Has he got a plan? What is he thinking? It is killing me by not knowing!

Naruto stood up. "I'm going to give it one more time!" He announced. I sighed. I can't stop him... Sasuke turned to him.

"Are you up for another round?" He asked.

Naruto nodded. "Of course I am! Believe it!" Sasuke smirk grew.

"Good." He said, pleased.

I stared at the two in confusion. What are they doing? They never had a conversation like this before... And what's with Sasuke. What is up with him?

"_**Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **_Naruto yelled as he made his hand sign. Once again, all of the Naruto's poofed back and charged into action.

"What are you planning, Sasuke?" I asked the raven-haired Uchiha. Sasuke turned to me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think that Kakashi is the only one with a Visual Jutsu?" He asked with a smile. My eyes widened.

"What?" I screamed. "You mean you know it too?" Sasuke's smile remained.

I don't get it... He's not supposed to know it yet... How is this possible. Sasuke isn't supposed to know the Sharingan until later in this fight. But... Then again... It's probably not a bad thing... But... This also means that even _I_ can't predict what will happen in this fight.

I couldn't see Sasuke's face for a moment, but soon after Sasuke's head shot up. He wasn't kidding. He really does know the Sharingan! The red eyes aren't just for a unique character design...

"Don't you see that it's useless?" Haku asked, sounding a little annoyed. Soon, he began his attacks on the Shadow Clones.

Sasuke quickly went back to his hand signs and prepared his Fire Ball Jutsu.

"_**Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" **_Sasuke yelled out and then a large flame was gushing out of his mouth. By this moment, all of the Shadow Clones were defeated and Naruto landed back down on his butt and Sasuke had the chance to attack Haku without hurting Naruto. The flame managed to get almost half of Haku's left arm. Haku let out a small grunt of pain and flew back into the mirror, reflecting his image back into the other mirrors.

"You burnt my arm..." Haku said as he looked down at his burnt arm. He looked down at Sasuke. "It must be coincidence... But..." Haku trailed off, staring down at the Uchiha. "You have the Sharingan ability... That means that you are an Uchiha."

Sasuke smiled. "That's right... Took you long enough to figure it out, though..."

Naruto stared up at Sasuke for a moment then his eyes widened in shock. "W-What?" He screamed as loud as he could. "You have the same eye as Kakashi! Only you have two!"

"Yeah, that's a tree, that's a dead bird, this is a bridge... Anything else you want to point out the obvious about, Naruto?" I asked smartly.

"But when did this happen?" Naruto asked, loudly I might want to add.

"For once, I agree with Naruto. When did you learn the Sharingan?" I asked.

"Yeah! Wait... Am I supposed to be offended?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. Now, Sasuke can you please answer the question?" I asked with my arms folded.

"I learned it years ago. Happy?" Sasuke answered.

"Years ago..." I mumbled to myself softly. "Years ago?" I yelled loudly. "If you learned this years ago then why didn't you use it against Zabuza before? Or even on Kakashi Sensei?"

"Are you really asking me this now?" Sasuke yelled back to me. "We kind of have an opponent to face here!"

"Excuse me... Princess! Next thing you know is that Naruto is going to win a match because of a fart!" I yelled back. Oh wait a minute...

"Compared to this guy, my Sharingan news is insignificant!" Sasuke yelled back.

"Your Sharingan is not insignificant! Next time I learn a new move and you ask questions, don't expect me to explain!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Uh... Guys..."

"WHAT?"

"We still have an enemy to face here..." Naruto informed me and Sasuke.

"I knew that!" I yelled back at the blonde, blushing from embarrassment, while Sasuke huffed and turned t face one of the mirrors, muttering something under his breath. He is a dead man...!

"Well..." Haku began. "It seems that you _are_ an Uchiha and you _are_ able to use the Sharingan against me. No matter... Because seeing speed and matching speed are two completely different things in battle..."

Damn it... Haku's right... We need to lure him out of those mirrors. If Naruto goes, he's just going to get hurt. If I go then try my Ice Fist Jutsu, I might be too slow to dodge. If I try to go in with my Ice Clones then the Ice might not even work on him... I scratched my head in deep thought. If only Shikamaru were with us... We could've thought of a great plan. But... Instead we got... Naruto's brain... It's not that he's dumb or anything, it's just that he isn't the sharpest knife in the draw... Yeah... That's it...

At this point Haku began talking to himself about Zabuza.

"I know that you need me, Zabuza... I'll finish them off quickly." He said to himself. He gasped and was caught off guard when Naruto came charging in with his Shadow Clones again. Haku grabbed a throwing needle and said, "He just won't give up...!"

Meanwhile, Sasuke prepared the hand signs for another Fire Ball Jutsu. I made a some hand signs for one of my Jutsu's. After all it's better than doing nothing at all...

"_**Ice Style: Ice Clone Jutsu...!" **_I whispered to myself so then Haku wouldn't be able to hear me. A large puff of smoke appeared around me and once it cleared, my Ice Clones were now visible.

I flicked the hair away from my face with a grin. Most of my clones charged along with the Naruto Shadow Clones while my one remaining Ice Clone quickly raced off to Sasuke. While Haku was destroying most of the Shadow Clones and Ice Clones were being destroyed, my lonely Ice Clone jumped up in front of Sasuke and gave him a thumbs up. Sasuke smiled and it looked like he got the message that I was giving him.

When Haku destroyed all of the other clones and knocked Naruto down, he was charging towards my Ice Clone in front of Sasuke and destroyed it and thanks to the ice that was left behind, Haku was slowed down and Sasuke released his Fire Ball Jutsu at him. Haku had no time to dodge, but unfortunately, he was only burnt on his right leg. Haku landed back on his feet and went back into the mirror. Coward...

Well, at least that did something. I don't want to kill Haku, but we can't die either. The village will still need us. Well, at least the original Team Seven of course. I'm not quite sure what I have to do to be honest but I think I enjoy the idea of living...

Naruto stood back up. "D-Did we get him?" He panted.

"Yeah..." I said, panting. "Sasuke burnt his leg... We're getting there..." I said reassuringly. Sasuke smirked with pride. I raised an eyebrow.

"What are you so happy about, Prince of all Uchiha? W-We are still fighting this guy you know..." I asked him.

"This is good..." Sasuke replied. "I think we're starting to get him!"

"Okay... You think...? Or you know...?" I asked him.

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked me.

"No. I'm just messing with you." I replied. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was crazy. Naruto did the same. "What? I can't have any fun? Well, that's just annoying..." I said as I folded my arms.

"Naruto, are you okay there?" I asked with concern in my voice. "You look a little worn out."

"Yeah... I'm fine... I have just used a bit of Chakra up... T-That's all..." Naruto replied. I blinked. Yeah... This is troublesome. Hey! Shikamaru _is_ here! I'm so clever! Okay Melody... That's enough of complimenting yourself! The battle still rages on!

"Sasuke..." I whispered so then Haku couldn't hear me. "What do you want us to do?"

"We just need to wait for the correct timing..." Sasuke answered me softly.

The Crystal Ice Mirrors shone brightly and Sasuke quickly made his hand signs.

"Both of you, Melody, Naruto, both of you try to get out of here!" He ordered. "If either one of you can get out then we can attack him from the inside and out with no problem!"

I smiled. Leave it to Sasuke to make a great plan! I nodded with no questions to his order. It's not that I think that it's going to work or anything, but he's already learned the Sharingan, so other things could change.

"Uh... Alright! Got it!" Naruto answered and we both ran towards the outside.

"You cannot escape!" Haku said to us, but we ignored him and kept on running.

I turned to Naruto. "Naruto, we have to hurry and go faster!" I told him. He nodded.

"Yeah! I know that already!" He replied. I pouted. He's being a jerk face to me right now.

The mirrors shone brightly to make Naruto and I lose our focus and threw some more throwing needles at us and knocked us back down again. Naruto quickly got back up and grabbed onto my wrist and began running again.

"If you think that you can keep us in here then you can just forget it!" Naruto screamed at Haku.

"Naruto, you can make the heroic catchphrases after you let go of my wrist and after we get the math out of here!" I yelled at the blonde.

"No time for that!" Naruto yelled back at me. I narrowed my eyes at him. Once this adventure is over, Naruto is going to have to face my big bang...! Kind of attack...? Shut up! It makes cheese loads of sense.

Haku flew out of the mirror again and Sasuke smirked.

"_**Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" **_He shouted and a large ball of fire was released from his mouth and was hurtling towards Haku. Haku turned to the flame and quickly turned away from it, but Sasuke quickly shot another fire ball at Haku and hit the bottom of his pants. Sasuke growled in anger.

"Naruto, I think you would be running a whole lot faster if you weren't dragging me by my wrist!" I yelled at him.

"I couldn't just wait for you to get up!" He yelled back at me. "You would have taken way too long! Believe it!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Believe me!"

"I'm never going to believe you!"

"You need to believe me like I believe in my ramen!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Naruto asked me. "It's true you know. Believe it!" I sighed. Here we go again... Wait, I totally forgot about Haku.

"Naruto, you keep running while I try to distract Haku." I explained. Naruto stared at me for a while but he soon smiled with a chuckle.

"Okay!" He said and then he let go of my wrist, dropping me to the ground without a second thought.

"Whoa!" I screamed as I fell down on my face. Yeah. He's going to be an ice sculpture when we get back!

I stood back up with clenched teeth. I made a few quick hand signs with a smirk. Time for my hard training to finally pay off – just like I hoped it would since I made it here.

-Flashback-

_I looked around the forest and found Naruto, who was standing in front of the tree and was getting prepared to try to climb it again._

"_Hey Naruto!" I greeted as I walked over to him. He turned to me._

"_Oh! Hey Melody, how's it going?" He asked me._

_I shrugged with a small smile across my face. "Good." I answered._

"_What do you need?" He asked me. His face lit up. "Are you going to give me more tips so then I can climb this stupid tree that I hate?"_

_I shook my head slowly. "No. I was actually going to ask you a favour." I corrected him._

"_A favour?" He asked me. "Well, what is it exactly?"_

"_Just stand still." I replied._

"_Okay. Why...?" He asked me suspiciously._

"_It's not that big of a deal, I just want to punch you is all." I answered._

"_Okay! Wait...WHAT?" He screamed._

_I raised an eyebrow and just punched him in the shoulder. Sort of hard..._

"_Melody, what the hell?" Naruto screamed as he rubbed the shoulder that I had punched._

"_I'm just training is all..." I replied as I shrugged my shoulders._

"_Well, never do that on me again!" Naruto yelled. Wow. Now I know he's mad at me..._

_I sighed. "Fine..." I looked around and saw Sasuke heading this way. I smiled._

"_Hey Sasuke! Could you do me a favour?" I called out to him. He immediately froze and stared at me for a moment and soon made a break for it. I quickly ran after him. "Get back here you Duck Butt!"_

_I could just tell that Naruto was left dumbfounded but he wanted to laugh his head off so bad. I have to admit that it is pretty funny... I'm a bad girl!_

-End of Flashback-

Huh. I don't remember that happening. That was weird... I should probably lay off the sugar for a while...

"_**Ice Style: Ice Fist Jutsu..." **_I whispered softly. My hand lit up with bright ice surrounding it, along with my other hand. This is the first time since Mizuki that I have had to use this in a real fight. And we all know how that went... I ended up with a giant shuriken in my hand and blood was... Okay... I better stop looking back at that fight. It's no wonder why I have been having nightmares about a giant swarm of Staru's coming at me...

Anyway... Haku was fast approaching as I stood there waiting for him.

"Move out of the way!" He yelled at me.

"No way, Haku!" I yelled back as I raised my fist. "I am not letting you pass!"

Haku grabbed his throwing needles and threw them at me, but I quickly caught them and froze them. I threw them right back at Haku who grabbed another needle and deflected the needles that I had thrown at him. I growled at him with anger. Haku threw multiple needles at me. I held my hands out in front of me and a beam of ice rushed out and froze Haku's foot.

"Cool!" I cried, pleased with my work. "How the hell did I do that?" I wondered with confusion. I looked around. Crap! Where's Haku? I noticed the puddle in front of me. I growled angrily. A clone? That jerk!

I turned around to see Haku in front of Naruto. My eyes widened and I quickly ran towards them. I pushed Naruto out of the way, but I had no time to dodge Haku. Just when I thought that I was going to get hit, I was pushed out of the way and landed on my butt again. But the only person who would be able to move me in time is Sasuke! Sasuke was slapped across the face and was thrown onto his back.

"Melody, are you okay?" Naruto asked loudly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered.

"Good. What about Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. I'll check." I replied and I rushed over to Sasuke's side. "Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Duh..." Sasuke replied.

I let out a soft sigh of relief. "That's good."

"You think that I would be beaten by that guy's hand?" The Uchiha asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I looked back over at Haku who had just gone back into the mirror and then I looked back at Sasuke. "I think that you just did."

Sasuke frowned at me. "I think I deserved that one..." He said as he shook his head and sat up along with Naruto. I stood up with Naruto and deactivated my Ice Fist Jutsu. Darn it...! I have lost all feeling in my left hand. Well, this is starting to suck badly...

"Damn it! We couldn't get past him!" Naruto growled angrily.

"That was good you two. Can you two give it another try?" Sasuke asked Naruto and I.

"Yeah! I can! Believe it!" Naruto answered. I looked down at my numb hand. My eyes narrowed. I can't use that Jutsu for too long otherwise I won't be able to feel or use any of my limbs. I looked back up at Sasuke who stared at me with a raised an eyebrow.

"Can you, Melody?" He asked me again.

"Yeah." I replied with a nod. I hate lying – no. Being sarcastic does not count at all – but I will also hate letting these two guys down. Sasuke's eyes narrowed with a frown across his face. I gave him a small smile so then he might stop staring. His eyes narrowed even more. Now he is starting to scare me... And I've seen Orochimaru as a woman!

Naruto ran off with a battle cry. My eyes widened. Uh oh... Sasuke also began to run and I quickly ran off towards his direction.

"I need to stop this now...!" Haku grunted as he grabbed another needle and left the ice mirror and jumped into the air. "This time you'll stay down!" He growled as he threw his needle towards Sasuke. I quickly ran in front of the Uchiha and the needles went in through my skin. Sasuke slid to halt and stared at me.

"Melody!" I heard Naruto yell out to me. That's right! I need to help Naruto as well! Despite the pain, I quickly ran in front of him and more needles struck my flesh. I grunted in pain and coughed up some blood.

"Melody, are you okay?" Naruto asked me with concern in his voice.

"Yeah..." I replied as I turned to look at him. "I'm fine, Naruto." I stared as blood dropped out from my hair, but I didn't feel sick nor did I feel like fainting or freezing up like I did before when we faced Zabuza for the first time. I ignored that feeling and stood up straight, carefully taking out some of the needles in my shoulders and arms. I smiled and looked at Sasuke and Naruto.

"Now..." I began, feeling way more confident than before. "Let's beat this guy and help save this bridge. What do you say guys?" I asked them. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

I looked over at Sasuke from the corner of my eye. "Well Sasuke...? Are you ready to do this...?" I asked him.

Sasuke stared at me for a while in thought. I narrowed my eyes.

"Well...?" I asked impatiently.

Sasuke smirked as he stared right at me and nodded. "Let's beat the crap out of this guy!" He agreed as he folded his arms. My smile grew.

"Good. I thought that you were going to drop out on me for a second there..." I said to him.

"As if I would drop out of a fight like this, Melody." Sasuke replied with a light chuckle. "Besides, I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

"Unless you want to be killed." I added for him.

"Alright Melody and Sasuke! Let's beat this guy and protect the bridge builder and this bridge!" Naruto yelled out to us. Sasuke and I nodded in agreement and all three of us grabbed one kunai each out of our ninja tools' pocket's and held them up in the air, the three of them touching each other by their tips.

Wait... Who made Naruto the leader?

Our heads snapped to the direction where Kakashi, Zabuza, Sakura and the bridge builder were at when we all heard a loud scream escaping Sakura's mouth. My eyes narrowed.

This fight has only just begun... Haku and Zabuza...

-Line break-

_**Episode Sixteen:**_

_**The Broken Seal**_

"That was Sakura's scream...!" Sasuke gasped as we all pulled our kunai knives down as I clenched my teeth.

"Sakura! I have to save her!" Naruto screamed as loud as he could. "I have to get out of here to save her!" He added a little less loud. He smiled as he turned around."I'll fake him out...!" He whispered to Sasuke and I.

Naruto was going to get going – crazily I might want to add – but I quickly grabbed onto his arm while he was trying to run out of my grip.

"Hold on, Blondie! I know how you feel and if I were you, I would like to go check out what was going on too, but right now we need to stay calm and think of a plan to get out of here first." I said calmly.

"I AM CALM!" Naruto screamed at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"I believe that that is what that guy over here said last time and he went on a rampage in less than five minutes after that." I replied as I motioned my head towards Sasuke who just sent me a nasty glare. He looked like he wanted to argue but he just sighed and ignored me after that...

"But I'm not lying..." Naruto complained. "Let go of me!" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Please...?"

"No." I said as I shook my head slowly.

"Please?" Naruto asked again.

"No." I said, repeating the same thing as last time.

"Please?" Naruto said as he narrowed his eyebrows.

"No." I replied as I narrowed _my_ eyebrows.

"Please?" Naruto said in a yell.

"No!" I yelled back.

"PLEASE?" Naruto screamed.

"NO!" I screamed back at him.

"I SAID PLEASE!" Naruto screamed louder.

"I SAID NO! DEAL WITH IT!" I screamed even louder.

"WELL I'M GOING!" Naruto yelled.

"DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU? N. O. NO!" I screamed right back at him.

"Cut it out you two..." Sasuke ordered us.

"Why do I have to do it because you said so, Sasuke?" Naruto yelled at the Uchiha.

"Maybe you should do what he says, Naruto...!" I said as I clenched my teeth. I turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, aim for his face."

"HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Naruto screamed.

"I just did genius. Get. Over. It." I told him.

Naruto folded his arms and pouted like a child.

"Are you going to stop this now?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yes..." He answered me.

"Good." I replied as I let go of his arm.

We stared at each other in complete silence for a while and it started to get a little bit awkward.

"So..." Sasuke began. "Now that that's over, are we going to beat this guy like we just said or-"

"AH!" Naruto screamed as he dashed away from me. I tried to make a hand sign, but my hand was still numb. I clenched my teeth in anger.

"Damn it...!" I growled. Iruka is not going to be happy that I broke the promise that I had made when I first made it to this world...

_-Flashback-_

"_Um…" I said softly. They both looked at me. "May I come too please?" I asked. I motioned for Iruka to lower his head down and covered my mouth as I whispered into his ear._

"_I'll keep Naruto under control." I promise. He looked at me and I looked back with a sincere look. He nodded slowly. I smiled on the outside, but it took all my will-power to not fist-pump the air. This is the best day ever!_

_-End of Flashback-_

This is not good. Naruto made a hand sign and a huge amount of Chakra surrounded the blonde and he quickly dashed off towards the mirrors and quickly ran around the inside of the circle we were in with Haku following beside him inside the mirrors, making him look like Naruto's reflection.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled out to the blonde. "Behind you!"

I quickly dashed off in front of Naruto when Haku threw a bunch of his throwing needles at me. The needles went through my skin and one end of my body to the other. A couple of the needles even went through my numb hand. I gasped in pain and landed with a thud to the ground.

"Melody! Are you okay?" Naruto screamed as he raced over to my side. I looked up at him.

"My entire body is covered in needles and I'm bleeding worse than ever before. Yeah, I'm feeling great right now." I said sarcastically.

"Sorry for rushing off like that, Melody. I should have listened to you." Naruto apologized to me.

"You're damn right that you should have." I said jokingly.

"Melody, it's kind of hard to make this moment sad with you making jokes like that." Naruto said as he shook his head slowly.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You want this to be sad, Naruto?"

"No. It's just that... Oh! Forget this, can you get up?" He asked me.

I tried to sit back up, but I couldn't move an inch. "Nope."

"You can't?" Naruto asked me.

"I can't." I replied.

"That's bad." Naruto said to me.

"Indeed it is young grasshopper." I agreed with a small nod.

"So you aren't able to fight?" Naruto asked me.

"Nope. If I can't move, then I'm practically useless from this point on." I replied with a frown.

"This is going to make things difficult..." Naruto mumbled as he rubbed his head.

The pain suddenly and finally caught up with me and my vision blurred and all I could see afterwards was black.

_**Naruto's POV:**_

Melody's eyes slowly closed and with that she was out cold. Damn it... Why did I go and do that...? I looked over at Sasuke who look furious. It was like someone stole his ramen or something... I looked back down at Melody's unconscious face. I should've been more cautious and listened to Melody, but I was just too worried about Sakura to think. Now Melody is out cold... Darn it...

_-Flashback-_

_I laughed as I watched the guys chasing me run in the wrong direction. "That was too easy!" I said as I rubbed the back of my head._

"_You know that you're going to get caught any second now, right?" A feminine voice said from behind me._

_I looked at her with a confused look on my face and a raised eyebrow, but I soon smiled again. "No way! Why would you think that?" I asked her questionably ._

"_That's why." The girl said as she pointed to something – or in this case someone – behind me._

_I turned around and jumped back when I saw Iruka Sensei right in front of me._

"_Where'd you come from Iruka Sensei?" I yelled in shock. "What are you doing here?"_

_-Flashback-_

"_Mizuki Sensei…" Iruka started. "The other students created at least three effective replications. But Naruto could only create one, and look at it… It's pitiful." Iruka explained as he looked at my lifeless clone. "I can't pass him."My smile faded at Iruka's words. I felt so angry at my teacher and clenched my teeth hard together. _

_Melody gave me a small, sad look. "Come on, Naruto," she said sympathetically. "Let's go." I gave her a small nod, hardly noticeable, and with that we walked out of the testing room to go outside of the academy._

_-Flashback-_

_Melody quickly ran in front of me with some sort of Jutsu activated as the speeding shuriken was hurtling towards us and the shuriken dug into her hands, blood dripping out of them. The shuriken then fell with a loud thud on the ground._

"_Are you okay Naruto?" She asked me. "It didn't get you, did it?" She gave me a small smile. But I could tell that she was in pain._

"_Why did you… Save me, Melody?" I asked with my eyes never for one second leaving her face as she continued to smile at me._

"_Because you are my friend, Naruto." She explained to me. "You're my best friend. In fact you're the only kid my age who would actually talk to me. People thought that I was a freak, some sort of weird person, a clown, but not you Naruto. You actually talked to me and you let me stay with you. To be honest, I thought that this was a dream, but apparently it isn't. Thanks Naruto. Now you better run. Run as fast as you can. Take the scroll and don't look back." She told me._

_-Flashback-_

"_Squad seven!" Iruka announced "Naruto Uzumaki!" My head popped up, hearing my name. "Sakura Haruno!" Sakura frowned as I felt great joy._

"_Yay!" I screamed out as I stood up with my arms thrown up in the air._

"_I'm doomed…" Sakura mumbled as her head flopped down._

"_... Sasuke Uchiha!" WHAT? This sucks!_

"_AH!" Sakura screamed happily with her arms thrown up in the air._

"_I'm doomed…" I mumbled as my head flopped down. Man... I'm on the same squad as Sakura and he has to be in it too! Melody isn't even in this squad, so that just makes things even worse!_

"_But…" Iruka said unexpectedly, making me have some more interest in what he was saying. "Since there is an uneven amount of graduates this time, I'm adding Melody Yakamashi to squad seven!" What... YES! VICTORY IS MINE!_

"_Yahoo!" Melody cheered with happiness._

_-Flashback-_

"_My name is Melody Yakamashi." Melody introduced but then took a pause. "I like to have fun, learn new Jutsu, train, adventures and pie." She took another pause. "But I absolutely hate people who think that they are so cool and think that they are better than everyone else." She scratched her chin in thought. "Well, my dream for the future is to not become Hokage, but to be the best ninja I can be. My hobby is to do sketches of landscapes. Well, I'm done!" She announced._

_-Flashback-_

"_Melody, what are you doing?" Sakura asked confused as Melody held a bar over my head. "We're not supposed to do that."_

"_Well, Kakashi isn't here, now is he? Besides, what kinds of friends would we be if we didn't? Didn't Kakashi just give us this big lecture about teamwork about five minutes ago? If Naruto is hungry then that could ruin the mission. And…" Melody took a small pause out of her speech._

"_What if I didn't feed him? What if it just so happened to fall out of my hands and into his mouth?" I gave her a strange look, worried of what might happen._

"_Look, do you want to starve or eat? It's your choice." Melody asked me. I was going to tell her something, but she gave me no time to reply and dropped the snack bar into my mouth. "Whoops!" She said in a sweet and innocent voice. When the bar dropped into my mouth, I began to chew happily at the great taste._

_-End of Flashback-_

Haku grabbed his throwing needles and was getting ready to throw them at us. I looked down at Melody and then over to Sasuke. He glanced at me.

"Naruto!" He called out to me, catching my full attention. "We need to make sure that Melody doesn't get hurt anymore than what she already has! So we'll need to work together in keeping her safe from this guy!" He told me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah, yeah, Sasuke! I already know that! You don't have to tell me that! I know!" I yelled at him.

"Get Melody and if he shoots those needles at you, pass her over to me! Got that?" Sasuke asked me.

"I know that already! Believe it!" I told him as I picked up Melody bridal style. I glared at Haku, waiting for him to make his next move.

"You are exhausting my patience!" Haku growled at us. "I will take you down one by one!" He told us and threw the needles at me. I quickly jumped out of the way and looked around. Damn... There's no place to run or hide... At this rate, we won't be able to keep this up.

Haku threw some more needles at me, but I had no time to dodge and I quickly threw Melody over to Sasuke, who had caught her just before she had landed on the ground. As that was happening, I was being attacked by a rain of needles and I screamed in pain.

"You have to be careful with Melody you loser!" Sasuke yelled at me. "Do you want her to die?"

I raised an eyebrow at Sasuke. He's even more furious than usual. "Well, how else am I supposed to give her to you when we're so far apart?" I yelled back at him.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger and looked like he really wanted to kill me. "Just be careful with her next time you idiot!" He replied with anger in his voice.

He turned to face Haku who threw more of his needles at Sasuke. Sasuke quickly jumped back to avoid them and then glanced down at Melody. Something weird is going on with Sasuke. He has never paid much attention to any of the girls – even Sakura – and with Melody, it's like she is the only important thing in the entire world. I sure do hope that Melody doesn't get a crush on Sasuke, otherwise she might actually start to date him and that would be gross! I swear that Sasuke needs to seriously make up his mind...

Haku threw some more needles at m, but I easily dodged those. I wish I could do the Shadow Clone Jutsu right now, but I have almost used up all of my Chakra and if nothing good comes out of doing it, then it would just be another waste of my Chakra.

I jumped my way towards Sasuke.

"So Sasuke, what are we going to do?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know." Sasuke replied with a small frown. "For the time being, our only option is to make sure that Melody is safe."

"But how are we supposed to attack him if we can't use our Jutsu?" I asked him.

"I don't know that either, Naruto. You're just going to have to wait until I think of something." Sasuke replied harshly. "So far, the previous plans that we have came up with up to this point have been proven that all that they are going to do is give this guy a few burns. So just wait. I'll tell you if I think of something...!"

"I thought that you were the number one rookie." I said to Sasuke.

"That doesn't mean that I'm able to do everything!" Sasuke growled at me. "Just shut up until either one of us thinks up of a plan!"

"Fine... We'll have it your way!" I said with a sigh and we both jumped away from each other.

I'm still worried about Sakura though. Who knows what could've happened. We'll have to beat this guy real quick, otherwise we might not make it in time. I'M SERIOUSLY FREAKING OUT OVER HERE!

Haku's reflection was in every mirror and he grabbed some more throwing needles. It's like this guy has an endless supply of needles! It's insane! Haku threw a rain of needles down at us and Sasuke quickly handed Melody over to me.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?" I asked him, confused.

"Shut up loser...!" Sasuke growled at me and picked up a needle in each hand and began to deflect some of the needles. But with me carrying Melody, I can't afford to let her get hit!

"_You have to be careful with Melody you loser!"_

"_Do you want her to die?"_

"_For the time being, our only option is to make sure that Melody is safe."_

Like Sasuke said, I have to keep her safe at all costs!

I turned around so then my back would face where the needles were coming at me from and the needles went right through my skin. I let out a loud scream of pain. Melody owes me so much for this. Maybe she'll stop using me as her training dummy.

"Naruto," Sasuke began. "At least try to dodge you loser!"

I gritted my teeth at him. "Where do you expect me to go? There are no hiding places around here!" I yelled at him.

"You're the one getting attacked! You think of something, idiot!" Sasuke yelled back at me.

That jerk! Sasuke thinks he's so cool! He's not! He can't even help me! Now I really hope that Melody and Sakura don't decide to go on a date with him!

The needles stopped coming at us for a moment and I let a sigh of relief escape my mouth. Sasuke snatched Melody out of my grasp and held her under one arm. Duh! Why didn't I think of that before!

The needles began to rain down on us again and Sasuke clenched onto his throwing needle and quickly pushed me out of the way and began to deflect the needles once again. That Sharingan has to be cheating somehow. It's not cool at all!

"You are such a loser, Naruto! Try to defend yourself! I can't keep protecting the both of you for much longer!" He yelled at me.

I clenched my teeth in anger. "I know that, Sasuke!" I yelled back at him. "Besides, I don't remember asking for your help in the first place!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Naruto, look out behind you! It's him!" He called out to me.

I turned around and everything felt like it was going in slow-motion. Haku threw some more needles at me and I had no time to dodge again, and with all of the hits that I have taken so far, this could be tough to make it through. The needles stabbed me and I fell backwards onto the ground with a thud. I groaned in pain as the blood dribbled out of my body.

"See Sasuke?" I asked him as I coughed up some blood. "I can make it through this without your help..." And those were the last words that I was able to choke out until I blacked out with this annoying ringing sound buzzing in my ears.

Go on Sasuke. You're our last chance to survive...

_**Sasuke's POV:**_

"That loser..." I muttered as Naruto's eyes closed. I growled as I looked from him to Melody. It looks like I have to protect both of them now. I sighed as I picked up Naruto and held him under my other arm.

"Well," Haku began, catching my attention. "As I said before, I am taking you and your friends out one by one. You may have the Sharingan and the Uchiha blood, but you are still young and don't know have to control it properly in a real battle. Besides, defeating me is impossible. You will never be able to do it."

I growled at him and stared at Naruto and Melody. Now I have to keep them both safe and that will be difficult with this guy's experience. It's obvious that he is a killer and has defeated many opponents before.

I don't think that this is a C-Rank mission anymore. This is real. And we might not have a chance at beating this guy.

"You cannot defeat me. That is absolute." Haku told me. I glared at him as he chuckled at me. Well, both of my arms can't be used so this isn't working out as we planned. Haku threw a couple of needles at me, but I quickly dodged them.

"You're impressive... But everyone in this world has limits... You're beginning to slow down... And now you are finished!" Haku yelled.

Okay... Here he comes... All that I have to do is stay calm. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to protect Naruto and Melody. The problem is that I won't be able to counterattack or defend. And... Just because I have the Sharingan doesn't mean that I will be able to keep up with his speed. So I will have to be careful and make sure that I focus and don't lose sight of him. Wait... That's it! That training wasn't just for nothing...!

_-Flashback-_

_I managed to make it a fair way up the tree, but when I used too much Chakra the tree broke and I quickly marked the tree with my kunai knife just before I fell down. I did a back-flip and landed down on the ground and glared up at the tree._

_-End of Flashback-_

Haku threw the needles at me but I quickly focused the Chakra to the bottoms of my feet and jumped up high into the air. Haku threw some more needles at me but luckily that only trimmed off some of my hair and I landed perfectly on the ground with Melody and Naruto still safe.

I set Naruto and Melody down. Maybe if I try my Fire Ball Jutsu one more time... At this point, I'm willing to try anything. I made some quick hand signs, but Haku threw his needles somewhere. He either has incredibly bad aim or...

"No!" I screamed as I rushed off towards Melody and Naruto at full speed. If I don't make it time...

"_Nice to meet you Sasuke! My name's-"_

I can't let them get hurt! Ever!

"_**Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"**_ I screamed out and the fire went hurtling towards Haku.

-Is This for Real?-

I stood in front of Naruto and Melody blood dripping from my mouth. I grunted in pain and coughed up some more blood as I stared at our opponent lying hurt on the ground. I heard Naruto stirring from behind me.

"Always getting in the way... It never fails... It never changes..." I managed to choke out until I coughed up some more blood.

"AH! You beat him Sasuke!" Naruto said happily, but I could tell that he didn't take a second look at me. I don't feel so great after all...

I turned to face the idiot."You should see the look on your face, Naruto..." I choked out. "You-You look like a total loser...!" I joked.

Naruto sat back up. "Wait... W-Why did you..." Naruto began, unable to get the words out of that idiot mouth of his. "Save me...? Why did you do it?" He asked me.

I tried my best to keep my balance for as long as possible, though it was hard. I coughed up another round of blood. "Do you think I know why?" I asked him, curiously. "I just did... My body-" I began until I coughed up more of my blood. "Just moved...!" I looked away from him.

"From the moment that we met... I hated you..." I told him.

"Then why?" Naruto asked me. I could tell that he is now standing up. "It doesn't make any sense! Why did you protect me?" He asked. I smiled as Naruto growled. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for you to save me!"

I felt some tears forming in my eyes but I couldn't wipe them away from the pain in both of my arms. "As I said before... I'm not sure why. My body moved on its own... I didn't get any time to think... I..." I couldn't choke out any more words before I fell backwards and Naruto quickly caught me.

"Sasuke!" He exclaimed.

"H-He's still out there..." I reminded myself. "...My Brother... I promised myself... I'd stay alive... Until I've... Killed him..." I looked up at Naruto. "Naruto... Promise me that you'll never... Let your dream die..." I told the loser as his eyes widened and my vision blurred and then I couldn't see anything... Everything went black.

_**Naruto's POV:**_

I stared as the life from Sasuke's eyes faded and when he passed out with a small grunt. I felt my eyes go watery. I placed my ear against Sasuke's chest to check for a heartbeat. It slowed down... And soon... Nothing... His heart had stopped. I took my ear off of his chest and noticed that Haku had gotten back up again.

"Is this the first time you have seen a friend die in battle?" He asked me.

...Anger...

"This is part of what it means to be a ninja..." He continued as he went back into the mirror.

...Rage...

"Shut up...!" I told him while sobbing. I placed Sasuke next to Melody and stared at them both.

...Hate...

"I-I hated you too Sasuke. And yet..." I said to Sasuke.

...Power...

"Melody, you might have made bad jokes. But..." I told Melody.

...Strength...

"You'll pay for this...!" I promised Haku.

...They all have a place...

I felt my Chakra coming back to me... Only, it didn't feel like mine. But it felt incredible. It was so strong... I feel like I can do almost anything! The rocks flew through the air as red Chakra surrounds me. I looked up.

"**I'm going to kill you!" **I told Haku with pure anger as I stood on my hands and feet like a fox.

Haku was taken aback by my sudden burst of anger and stared at me. I felt the needles leave my body and my cuts and bruises disappeared and were healing and I felt my nails grow into claws like a vicious animal. I felt my teeth turning into sharp fangs.

I looked back at Haku with anger and a growl, teeth clenched and claws digging into my skin.

I glared at Haku with an even louder growl as he grabbed more throwing needles and I began to charge at him on my hands and feet and ready to pounce on him.

He is going to die!

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto Voice-over)**_

**Sasuke's gone...! And you hurt Melody...! Look what you've done..! You're going to pay for this...!**

**Argh!**

**There's nothing you can do to stop me...! And there's no turning back...! You have destroyed their dreams...! Now I'm going to destroy you!**

**Argh!**

Next time...

White Past: Hidden Ambition!

_**EXTRA: Sasuke's POV:**_

Melody looked over at me from the corner of her eye. "Well Sasuke...? Are you ready to do this...?" She asked me. Instead of answering, I stared at her. That's just like...

"_Well Sasuke? Are you ready to do this?" She asked me._

_I blinked at her. "You bet!" I answered._

_She laughed happily. "Good! I'm not going to lose this time!"_

"_That's what you said the last thirty rounds!" I told her._

"_You're a jerk! This time it's going to be completely different!" She pouted._

_I shook my head and smiled. "You can try if you want to."_

"_GO!" We both yelled and threw our kunai._

I smiled. I'm ready alright...!

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_**SonicShaymin2: YAMCHA, WHAT DOES THE SCOUTER SAY ABOUT THE WORD COUNT?**_

_**Yamcha: IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: WHAT? NINE THOUSAND? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! IT MUST BE A MALFUNCTION!**_

_**Melody: We've done this joke already.**_

_**Yamcha: So has everyone on the internet.**_

_**Naruto: The what?**_

_**Melody: It's a computer thing.**_

_**Naruto: It's a what?**_

_**Sakura: Sorry that this has taken so long guys!**_

_**Sasuke: SOMEONE was just being lazy.**_

_**SonicShaymin2: I was busy!**_

_**Everyone else: Right...**_

_**Melody: I don't believe you!**_

_**Yamcha: Anyway... REVIEW, favourite and follow please! But please, review. The author is starting to go crazy from having the 'unlucky' number.**_

_**SonicShaymin2: It's why it took me forever to write this chapter.**_

_**Everyone else: Right...**_

_**Melody: I don't believe you!**_

_**P.S. I nearly cried when I typed up Sasuke when he was crying and when he was talking about his brother... Aww...**_


	12. The Demon in the Snow

_**SonicShaymin2: Hey guys! This chapter is lucky for you because I have the last three episodes of the Zabuza arc in this chapter! Hooray! We are getting closer!**_

_**Melody: I'm knocked out!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Yes you are.**_

_**Melody: Am I going to do something in this chapter?**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Probably not.**_

_**Naruto: What's this pink blob?**_

_**Kirby: Byoo!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: That 'blob' as you so nicely put it, is Kirby.**_

_**Sasuke: 'Well at least Melody won't get weird with this thing...'**_

_**Melody: IT'S SO CUTE!**_

_**Sasuke: Damn it! *Punches the wall***_

_**Sakura: I don't think that Kirby can do the disclaimer...**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Who said anything about him doing the disclaimer? It's Meta Knight!**_

_***Meta Knight walks in* (CUE EPIC KNIGHT MUSIC)**_

_**Melody: *Gasp* You. Are. So. CUTE!**_

_**Sasuke: I'm just going to go over there now... *Walks in the corner and cries quietly***_

_**Meta Knight: THE FOLLOWING IS A FAN-FICTION. NARUTO, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN AND ALL OTHER RELATED PRODUCTS ARE OWNED BY MISASHI KISHIMOTO AND TV TOKYO. Come on Kirby, we're going now.**_

_**Kirby: Byoo!**_

_**Thanks to the reviewers:**_

_**WindWhistle21 – Yeah? I am going to blame Sasuke and Naruto... They snatched her glory. Either that or my mind blew up into tiny pieces... Ha! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I'll try to make it interesting for the rest of the story! Thanks for the review!**_

_**NIGHTANGEL21 – Aw... Thanks... Me too! Ha! Anyway, about your question. I'll try to answer this in the fairest way possible. It MIGHT be something like that, but right now I can't give too much away. So sorry. But, I'll work extra hard so then you can see the 'big secret'. Anyway, thanks for the review!**_

_**OathKeeper16 – I'm glad that I'm almost at the end of the Zabuza arc. I can finally get to the Chunin Exams and make all of the pieces fall into place. I also blame Naruto. But, Naruto is a cool main character... I felt so heartbroken. SASUKE! KUN! It took everything I had to type that up. I need to see someone about this... Anyways, thanks for the review!**_

_**Is This For Real?**_

_**Opening:**_

_**C'mon!  
Running like a fugitive,**_

_**Being chased by something…**_

_**Inside my heart is pounding…**_

_**My throat is dry like it's withering.**_

_**For no single one,**_

_**To none does belong,**_

_**The time is ours, Right now…**_

_**Unraveling the pain,**_

_**Unraveling our hearts,**_

_**Unraveling shadows.**_

_**Stifling our breath,**_

_**Reaching for beyond,**_

_**Tearing through the dark.**_

_**In fighting and in love…**_

_**To the distant light above,**_

_**Yes, we are on the way!**_

_**I wanna rock…**_

_**Rockin' my heart…**_

**Naruto's POV:**

"_Is this the first time you have seen a friend die in battle?" He asked me._

_...Anger..._

"_This is the way of the Shinobi..." He continued as he went back into the mirror._

_...Rage..._

_...Hate..._

_...Power..._

_...Strength... _

"_You'll pay for this...!" I promised Haku._

_...They all have a place..._

_I felt my Chakra coming back to me... Only, it didn't feel like mine. But it felt incredible. It was so strong... I feel like I can do almost anything! The rocks flew through the air as red Chakra surrounds me. I looked up._

"_**I'm going to kill you!" **__I told Haku with pure anger as I stood on my hands and feet like a fox._

_Haku was taken aback by my sudden burst of anger and stared at me. I felt the needles leave my body and my cuts and bruises disappeared and were healing and I felt my nails grow into claws like a vicious animal. I felt my teeth turning into sharp fangs._

_I looked back at Haku with anger and a growl, teeth clenched and claws digging into my skin._

_I glared at Haku with an even louder growl as he grabbed more throwing needles and I began to charge at him on my hands and feet and ready to pounce on him._

_**Episode Seventeen:**_

_**White Past: Hidden Ambition!**_

Haku quickly threw his throwing needles at me and I let out a yell and my Chakra shot the needles away and I quickly rushed over to Haku, but he disappeared before I could get to him. I looked around to search for him and the mirrors reflected his image and he shot some more needles at me and they shot into my body just like the last ones did. I grunted once they got me, but I used my Chakra to blow them away and I healed up my wounds again.

I raced towards the mirror that Haku was in and smashed it into pieces with a single punch. I could tell that Haku was coming back down from the sky and I quickly jumped away just before he could smash me down hard into the ground over to the other side and snarled.

Haku was going to head back to one of his mirrors again, but I quickly rushed to him and grabbed onto his arm and spun him around and released a bunch of my Chakra that smashed the mirrors one by one as Haku tried to stop me, but I was way too powerful. I clenched my hand into a fist and punched the jerk across the face, sending him flying through one of the only mirrors that haven't been smashed. He rolled on the ground, metres and metres away from me. All of the other mirrors smashed around me, the pieces smashing and melting into the ground as Haku began to stand back up with his mask breaking apart.

I charged over at Haku as every part of his mask fell apart. I was ready to punch him until I saw his face. I put my fist down and just landed centimetres away from him. He's that guy from before...

I calmed myself down, my growling fading away from my throat and my nails and teeth went back to their normal size as all I could do was stare at him.

"So... That guy that was in the woods..." I began with shock in my voice. "That was you?" I asked as I remembered his face and how kind he was to me.

"Why do you not strike?" Haku asked me. My eyes widened as a gasp escaped from my mouth. "Did you not just vow to avenge your comrade's death by killing me? Or was that vow just empty words?"

I looked back at Sasuke and Melody, who were still lying down unconscious where I put them. I looked back at Haku and growled as my eyes narrowed. I tried to punch him and a part of me really wanted to punch him, but another part of me told me not to as well. I tried harder and finally, I was able to punch him across the face once more and he fell to the ground.

Haku got back up on his hands and knees and coughed up some blood as I panted and stared at him when he was standing back up.

"No..." Haku said to me. "That won't do. You're still holding back. If that's all of the strength that you could put into it then you cannot keep your vow." He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Perhaps he didn't mean as much to you as you pretend."

"_Is there... Anyone who is important to you?"_

"_There is only one person who matters to me and I live to protect and serve him. That is my purpose."_

"To show mercy to those who oppose the person you serve, to allow his enemies to live when you could strike them down. This is not compassion. It is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You're of use to no one. Your life has no meaning. It is mere existence. Day after day of pain and struggle, signifying nothing." Haku told me.

"Yeah, well speak for yourself!" I replied.

"Are you really that blind little one, I am speaking of myself." Haku said and then smiled. "This day has shown that I'm no longer of use to Zabuza."

"Zabuza..." I repeated and then glared at him. "Why that guy anyway?" I yelled at him. "To devote your life to a skunk who doesn't even know the meaning of the word honour! If he's really the one person that matters to you, man that's the sorriest thing that I have ever heard!"

"There were once others that mattered to me. Long ago. My father... And my mother..." He corrected me. I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.

"I was born in the land of water in a small village where the snow lies deep within the Winter. My parents were farmers and very poor. Our life was hard, but we were content. My parents were good to each other and kind to me. Yes, we were happy once, but then everything changed." Haku explained to me. "Because of something that happened long before I was even born, everything changed."

"W-What do you mean?" I asked him with curiosity. "What was it? What happened?"

"It wasn't my doing..." Haku told me as he looked at his hand. "It is in the blood." He explained.

I blinked. "Blood?" I asked. "So what was it? You said that something had happened that changed everything!"

Haku looked back up at me. "It was... My father who changed. He killed my mother and he had almost killed me." He explained. My eyes widened in shock and fear.

"After years of suffering the horrors of civil war, the people had come to fear and hate anyone who held the Kekkei Genkai in their blood."

"Kekkei Genkai?" I asked him, wondering what it was.

"The advanced bloodline trait of a clan. It's Jutsu and abilities passed down from generation to generation. Because of their unique abilities, the clans were used as mercenaries. They fought in many battles and were much feared. But when the wars were over, they were despised and shunned by the people who feared their presence would only bring more war and misfortune. So it was after these wars that the clans went into hiding, denying the bloodline trait that flowed in their veins, concealing their unique abilities, knowing that to be discovered meant certain death." Haku explained and glanced over at Sasuke. I turned to face him too.

"If you had searched that boy's memories, I'm sure you would have found it there too. The cruelty of people, their fear of things they don't understand. For years my mother was successful at hiding her bloodline trait." I turned to face Haku again. "She met and fell in love with a simple farmer and they were married. And after that my mother thought that she would live the peaceful and ordinary life to the end of her days." He continued.

_-Is This For Real?-_

_Haku laughed happily as he held his hands apart from each other and the water floated in between._

"_Momma, look what I can do!" He said. Haku's mother dropped the sheet that she had in her arms and Haku stood up and walked over to her._

"_See what I made?" He asked with a small smile on his face. "See?" He looked down at it. "Isn't it beautiful?"_

"_No!" Haku's mother screamed as she grabbed Haku's arm, making him drop the water that he had been playing with. "You must never – do you hear me – never! You wicked, wicked child!" She screamed as she began to wrestle with the young boy._

"_Momma, momma, stop please!" Haku begged, but his mother's hand slapped across his face. Hard._

"_I'm sorry..." His mother sobbed as she gave him a big hug. "I'm so sorry my darling... I'm sorry..."_

_-Is This For Real?-_

"My father had seen, so he knew our secret – my mother's and mine." Haku told me and soon continued.

_-Is This For Real?-_

_The plate smashed into tiny pieces as Haku crawled away from the men and cried, tears leaving his eyes every second._

_Haku felt like he was staring death in the face and it didn't look like he would get out of there... But... He did... The ice had saved him..._

_Later, Haku limped through the snow fields with fear and some scars within his memories. He could barely take anymore and landed on his side in the soft, white snow, crawled up into a small ball. His breathing was uneven and unsteady and he did not blink once, barely being able to walk very far from his old home._

_-Is This For Real?-_

"When at last I was myself again, I was no longer myself. My father and mother were gone, but I knew that something else had been taken from me – something even more important. And that is when I truly despaired..." Haku told me.

I blinked and raised an eyebrow. "More important than your mother and father?" I asked him with shock in my voice. "What?"

"My purpose." Haku replied. "In all of the world there was no one who needed me. I was... Unnecessary." My eyes widened.

That's just like... Me...!

"Why is it that you're so determined to become Hokage?" Haku asked me. "Because you want all eyes in your village to look on you and recognise you as a great ninja. You see that it is only in the eyes of others that our little lives have any significance when there is no one who sees you or will even look at you; it is as if you do not exist... Then Zabuza came along and looked at me and his eyes were not full of hate or fear. He did not shun me for my strangeness. Indeed, my special powers were just what he wanted. He made me necessary again..." He continued.

_-Is This For Real?-_

_Haku leaned against the side of the bridge railing and stared up at the tall man that stood before him._

"_Hm." Zabuza began. "A little kid like you with no one to look after you. You'll die a beggar's death." He continued._

_Haku stared at him for a moment and then smiled. "Hey you know what? Your eyes remind me of mine." He said to him._

"_Well little one, will you stay here and die or come with me and be of some use? Will you serve me? And submit to my will in all things?" Zabuza asked Haku. Haku stared at him for a moment with the smile still attached to his face and nodded._

"_Then your special abilities belong to me from this day forward." Zabuza said to him. Haku stood up and walked over to Zabuza slowly. Zabuza placed a hand on Haku's head and then pulled him towards him._

"_Let us go then." He said._

_-Is This For Real?-_

I continued to stare at Haku as I listened to his story. Haku had been staring at the ground for a while now and he still didn't look up at me.

"I was happy..." He said and then continued to tell his story.

_-Is This For Real?-_

_Zabuza and Haku stood on a cliff, looking out to the Land of Water._

"_My time here is done, Haku." Zabuza told the young boy. "Tonight, I cast aside the Land of Water. One day I will return and seize this land and hold it in my hands. But many things have to be done before that day comes and you will help me to do them. But I warn you, friendship, comrades, comfort, encouragement, I do not need these things, nor will you expect them from me."_

_Haku looked up at Zabuza with a smile. "I understand. I am yours, Zabuza. I am only an instrument of your will. Think of me as a weapon to be kept at your side and used as you see fit." He told him._

"_Well said child." Zabuza replied._

_-Is This For Real?-_

"I have failed you, Zabuza..." Haku said out of nowhere. "I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use." Haku looked up at me. I blinked and stepped back as Haku began to walk towards me unexpectedly.

I don't know what this guy is going to do... I just don't know what he's planning. It makes no sense!

"Naruto..." Haku began. "Kill me...!"

I'm not sure if I heard right! I won't believe it... He wants me to kill him? But... That's insane! My eyes continued to widen as I stared over at Haku.

"Go on..." He said to me. "Strike. Kill me. Why do you hesitate?" He asked.

I clenched my hand into a fist and stepped back away from him with a loud growl. "That's the most ridiculous story that I have ever heard! I mean, he treats you like a slave! You're a human being, not a tool! How can you care about someone like that?" I asked him angrily.

"For that very reason..." Haku began.

"Huh?" I asked as I took another step back away from him.

"Does that... Seem so strange to you?" He asked me.

"Well yeah... A little..." I replied, feeling a little awkward.

"When he found me, I was without a purpose or reason for living. Zabuza gave me both. But now... My usefulness is over, the only thing that gave my life meaning." He told me and soon tears began to roll down his face. Tears! "It's gone. I am a broken tool – a blunted weapon of no use to anyone. Go on Naruto... Do it. For both of our sakes! Do it... Quickly."

-Line break-

_**Episode Eighteen:**_

_**The Weapons known as Shinobi!**_

I continued to stare at Haku as he kept on pestering me to kill him. I just can't believe this guy! If there's one battle he can't win, he thinks that it's just okay to throw in the towel and ask me to kill him! I don't think that any Shinobi should say that ever! Believe it!

"Go on... Finish it. Kill me!" Haku ordered me. I stepped back as I sent a glare right at him. He is showing no ninja spirit at all right now! Haku stepped forward. "Why do you hesitate?" He asked me as I clenched my teeth and growled at him. He smiled. "I thought that you wanted to be a mighty warrior."

I took another few steps back. "That's not what it's about! Do you really think that is all that it is – just fighting and killing until there is only one man left standing? There's a lot more to being Shinobi than that and there are other ways to show your strength other than just beating someone in battle!" I told him harshly.

"I had a feeling all along. From the first moment we met in the woods... We are a lot alike." He told me and I responded with a gasp rather than a reply. "I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm only sorry that it must be _your_ hand that is tainted with my unworthy blood."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked him with my eyes narrowing. "And you're positive that it's the only way?"

"Yes." Haku answered with a small smile.

I growled at him for a moment, but I quickly calmed myself down. "The weird thing is if we met in another time and place, maybe we could have been friends..." I said with my head lowered.

I looked back up at Haku and quickly dashed off towards him, grabbing a kunai knife out of my ninja tools' pocket, speeding towards him.

"Yes... That's right. Hold fast to your dreams..." Haku said.

"This is for Sasuke and Melody – my friends!" I yelled out to him. "They both had dreams too, you know!"

I continued to charge over at Haku, who just stood there and smiled at me. To be perfectly honest, it's kind of creepy that he would like to face death with a smile, but I'm not him, I wouldn't know what he was thinking...

Suddenly, Haku gasped as I continued to charge at him. Did he suddenly change his mind or something? But I can't stop now; I have already vowed that I would avenge my friends! That and I can't stop my feet... It's too damn slippery here!

When I finally reached him, Haku grabbed my wrist, stopping me from attacking him. Was that his plan the whole time or something...? No. No... I don't think he would do that... Something else must be happening...

"Sorry Naruto, change of plan..." Haku told me as he looked away and made some hand signs. Something freaky is going on! "I'm not ready to die quite yet." He said and then suddenly disappeared into thin air.

What the...? Where could have he...?

"Hey!" I called out. I looked around and noticed something. "The fog's lifting!" I said in amazement. And when I finally saw three figures, I came to the conclusion that he must be helping Zabuza. "Is that him?" I asked myself and then began to run towards them, but stopped when I just figured out what happened. I let out a yelp of surprise. Is that what I think it is...?

"What the heck is going on here?"

_**Melody's POV:**_

I stirred for a moment and opened my eyes, staring up at the... Not so blue sky... I then sat up and held my sore head.

"Man, my head hasn't hurt this bad since the captain of the soccer team mistook my head for a ball..." I said to myself. I looked around and noticed Sasuke lying right next to me. "Aw... He looks so cute when his mouth is bleeding blood... Wait... Something about what I just said doesn't sound right..." I stood up and looked around a bit more.

So... Since Sasuke and I aren't important enough to have been woken up, we must still be in the same battle.

"Well, no point staying here... I'll go find Naruto and... Oh..." I trailed off as I saw the blood spilling out of Haku where Kakashi accidently hit him with his Lightning Blade. I felt a little light-headed, but quickly regained my composure. I have to be of use somehow... Or... I could draw Sasuke a moustache... Yeah... Or even go back into my life threatening coma...

"I have really got to stop hanging around Naruto..." I said to myself as I walked towards that blonde kid.

"Whoa..." I said. "It's even grosser up close..." Naruto jumped a little and turned to me.

"Melody, how long have you been awake for?" He asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"Definitely not ten minutes..." I lied to him as I looked back at Haku's injuries. "So, do you know what happened?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. He just disappeared all of the sudden and when the fog lifted, I found this..." Naruto answered and then began to growl a little. "That Zabuza guy should be more grateful!"

"Maybe he is... But he is the Demon of the Mist; he has to look sinister..." I replied and glanced over at Zabuza. He did act like a father to Haku as a child after all.

"The boy threw himself in front of my attack...!" Kakashi gasped as he stared at Haku. He glared at Zabuza. "He saved your worthless life at the cost of his own...!"

Zabuza chuckled. "Well done, Haku..." He said, which made Kakashi's eyes narrow. Zabuza jumped up and grabbed onto his blade.

"Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura screamed. "Look out!"

"I knew that I had found a treasure when I found you, boy!" Zabuza yelled. So... He found a friend... For once... Ahem! Anyway... "You've not only given me your life, but Kakashi's as well!" He yelled as Kakashi tried to break free from Haku's grip. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Come on Kakashi..." I whispered. "Do it... And don't spill too much of his blood around..." I whispered softly.

Just as Zabuza was going to swing his blade, Kakashi held onto Haku and jumped up into the air and landed far away from Zabuza, who began to chuckle again.

"Not bad for having a corpse in your arms." He said. Naruto and I clenched our teeth and fists.

"You'll pay for that!" Naruto yelled. I wish that we could help. But...

"No!" Kakashi ordered. "Stay out of this, Naruto!" He called out and then set Haku's body down in front of him carefully and shut his eyelids. "This is my battle! Zabuza's mine!"

"Naruto, Melody!" Sakura called out to us. Oh. Right. Somehow, I completely forgot about her scream. I blame that coma! "Over here!"

"Sakura..." Naruto mumbled.

I smacked my lips together. Well... For once, I don't know what to say.

"So you two and Sasuke are alright?" She asked. Naruto and I looked away. Naruto was stuck for words, while I just looked over at the Uchiha from the corner of my eye.

"What's wrong? Where is Sasuke anyway?" She asked. I kicked a rock away from my foot. Stupid rock... For being such a rock...

Naruto closed his eyes and his breath was shaky. "No..." Sakura gasped. I feel special. I know something that they don't know! If I don't, may I be hit across the face.

"Sakura..." Kakashi mumbled.

"Kakashi!" Zabuza yelled, catching his attention while running towards him. How did we forget about him being there again? Anime always makes things so complicated. It's embarrassing! "I would stay focused if I were you!" He was about to swing his blade again, but Kakashi quickly kicked his face. In your face, Zabuza! In your face!

Tazuna turned to the pinkette. "Let me take you to him, Sakura. As long as we stay together, you won't be disobeying your sensei's orders." He told her.

"Thank you..." Sakura managed to choke out and she grabbed his hand and they ran off to go and see Sasuke. Uh... Hello? Naruto and I were both knocked out too, you know! What about me? It isn't fair! I've had enough and I want my share! Melody, stop making song references! Do you want to destroy the balance? And I have got to stop talking to myself like that!

"Sasuke..." Naruto choked out. I looked at him sadly. Sure, I know what the outcome will be but... It's still sad if you think about it.

Sakura trotted over to Sasuke and let out a gasp as she saw his pale face. Even Tazuna was shocked! I could tell that Sakura was about to cry from her breathing. She fell to her knees and put a hand on his face.

"His body's cold..." She said. "This isn't just one of his GenJutsu tricks, is it?"

Tazuna looked down at her. "Go on..." He said to her. "You don't need to be brave on my account. Go on and let your feelings out, Sakura, it's alright."

Sakura began to rub the side of Sasuke's face. It was faint, but I could still make out what she was saying to him. "I was the best." She said. "I aced every test at the academy – the perfect student... Did you know that there are over one hundred principles of Shinobi conduct? I memorized every single one. I always loved it when they tested us on them. It gave me a chance to show how smart I was. I remember so clearly – this one exam – they asked us to explain the twenty fifth principal. I got it right, of course..." At this point, I could hear her whimper. The whimper turned into tears...

"A Shinobi... Never shows his feelings... No matter what the circumstance is... Feelings are a weakness... That only cloud his judgement and weakens his sense of duty..." Her tears began to drip onto Sasuke's face and she buried her face into his chest, crying her tears away. "Sasuke...!"

Naruto was shaking by just hearing her crying. He clenched a hand onto his stomach tightly and for a minute there, it looked like he was trying to rip his own flesh off and he did his best to fight back the tears.

I turned to look at the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza. They were now opposite of each other and Zabuza was panting as he was kneeling on one led with kunai knives in his arm. I gulped. I'm going to need more than a shower tonight to wash away these memories...

Zabuza got back up and quickly ran towards Kakashi and he was about to swing his blade again, but Kakashi just punched him in the face without much effort at all. Zabuza slid on the ground, still on his feet and Kakashi quickly gave him another punch to the face.

"I'll split you in half!" Zabuza growled and ran after Kakashi once more. He swung his sword, but Kakashi jumped back and dodged it. Zabuza smashed his blade to the ground, breaking some of the bridge. Kakashi appeared right behind him and held his hand near his neck.

"Look at you, you're falling apart! I knew you didn't have what it takes for the long haul." Kakashi told the Demon of the Mist.

"What did you say...?" Zabuza growled with anger.

"You heard me. You have no idea what real strength is." Kakashi replied.

"Well, well, so this is how it turns out, eh?" A voice from behind asked. I looked at the short man from the corner of my eye. Gato...! That no good son of a... Argh! It's just so frustrating to look at his face!

Kakashi spun his kunai around with his fingers as he glared at Zabuza.

"Game over. You lose...!" He told him.

Kakashi was about to strike, but Zabuza turned around, swinging his blade around to him. Kakashi managed to jab the kunai knives into Zabuza's arm and Zabuza punched Kakashi away from him. Zabuza's blade landed near the edge of the bridge and Kakashi landed alright on his feet.

"Now, both of your arms are useless..." Kakashi said to Zabuza. "What now? You can't even make hand signs." Zabuza growled in reply.

Finally, the others noticed Gato and turned to look at him.

"He did quite a job on you, didn't he, Zabuza?" Gato asked. "You look like yesterday's sashimi." I gritted my teeth at him. "I must say I'm... Disappointed."

I glared at Gato and his large group of men. I really want to kick his butt right now and into the ground! I hope that when he dies, it's painful!

-Line Break-

_**Episode Nineteen:**_

_**The Demon in the Snow**_

"Gato..." Zabuza began. "I don't understand. What is all of this? Why are you here? And who are all of these thugs that you've brought with you?"

"Well, you see, there has been a slight change in plan." Gato replied and he tapped his cane on the bridge. "According to the new plan, you die right here on this bridge, Zabuza."

Zabuza's eyes widened in shock. "What?" He asked.

"That's right. You're too expensive. So I've decided to take you off of the pay roll. Of course, even these 'thugs' that I have brought with me costs something, so if you could manage to slaughter a few of them before they take you down I'd appreciate it. Think you can manage that, 'Demon Ninja of the Mist'? Look at you; you look about as demonic as a wet kitten." Gato replied and his thugs laughed at his insult.

"Well, well, Kakashi... It would seem that our fight is at its end. Since I am no longer Gato's employee, Tazuna's safe. We have no quarrel." Zabuza said to the silver haired Jonin.

"Yeah... I suppose you're right..." Kakashi agreed as Gato began to walk towards Haku's lifeless body. He looked down at him with a smirk.

"That reminds me... You little punk! You grabbed me and you nearly broke my arm!" He said as he began to kick Haku's head. I gritted my teeth in anger. No one touches Haku when he's harmless...! NO ONE! This would be a good time to have Zoro around. He always comes up with some plan that always works without fail! Wait... No that's not right... Goku? No. That's not right either... Come on brain think!

_I'm trying okay, just hold on!_

WELL TRY HARDER! Man, I hate that brain...

_I'm right here you know!_

I'M THE ANGEL OF DEATH!

_What?_

Stop talking to me. There's something important going on here!

_Fine... But you haven't heard the end of this!_

Whatever! Stupid brain... ANYWAY! Back to the important stuff!

"I've been meaning to repay you for that...!" Gato continued and kicked Haku's head as hard as he could. Naruto and I let out a small gasp. That jerk face. Not even all of the cheese in the world would make me forgive him for that! "I only wish that he was alive to feel it..." He chuckled.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Naruto yelled as he ran towards him. "GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU SCUM!" And before he could get any further, Kakashi quickly grabbed onto him. It was like he was giving him a hug. Aw...

"Hey, stop! Use your head!" Kakashi scolded.

See brain? Even Kakashi thinks that heads are cooler than brains.

_Oh you did not just say that!_

I believe that I did, brain...

"Well, what about you, Zabuza? Are you just going to let him do that?" Naruto yelled.

"Be quiet you fool... Haku's dead, what does it matter?" He replied coldly.

"What? You mean you can just stand there and let him get treated like a dog? You and Haku worked together for years doesn't that mean anything to you?" Naruto yelled back. I raised an eyebrow. Pukon? Akamaru? Marley? Mr. Salt?

"You don't understand the way of Shinobi. I merely used him, just as Gato used me." Zabuza replied.

"Huh?" Naruto gasped.

"Now, it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy – nothing." Zabuza continued.

"If you mean that, you're an even bigger rat than I thought!" Naruto yelled back. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay, that's enough. Calm down, Naruto. He's not the enemy, not right now." He reminded him. Naruto shoved Kakashi's hand off of his shoulder and growled.

"Shut up! As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy number one!" He screamed as he pointed a finger at Zabuza. "Why you... You ungrateful... After everything he did for you!" He turned to look over at Haku. "Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! And he meant nothing to you? Nothing at all? While he was sacrificing everything for you, you never felt anything at all for him? And if I become stronger, does that mean...?" At this point, Naruto had tears forming in his eyes. "I'll become as cold hearted as you are? He threw his life away and for what? For you and your dream? You never let him have a dream of his own, but he didn't care! And you just tossed him away like he was nothing!" Naruto's tears now began to stroll down his face. "A broken tool? Man, that's so wrong? So WRONG!"

"You talk too much." Zabuza told Naruto. Naruto looked up at him. I glanced down at the ground in front of Zabuza and noticed that tear drops were dropping down, creating small puddles. Zabuza looked up to the sky. "Your words cut deep... Deeper than any blade. While he fought you, his heart was breaking too. You see, Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow and curse him, I feel them too...! And something else. I feel content that this is the way that it's going to be the end." Zabuza said and then tore off the bandages covering his face. "Well, cat got your tongue? Are you so surprised to discover that I'm actually human? Even Shinobi are human – no matter how hard we try to hide that simple fact, we always fail! Well at least... I have failed."

"Boy!" Zabuza yelled out to Naruto, surprising the blonde. "Give me your kunai." Naruto gave him a look, but sighed and grabbed a kunai and threw it over to Zabuza.

"Here." He said softly.

Zabuza caught the kunai in his mouth. What is he trying to do? Three kunai style? Am I right? No? Okay... Zabuza ran quickly towards Gato, making him scream and run towards his men.

"That's enough of this! Do it now! Take him down!" He screamed as he hid behind his men.

"Yeah!" They all cheered. Little do they know that quite a few of them are going to go bye-bye! Teehee!

"He must be out of his mind!" The man in front said with a smile. "One against all of us, what's he thinking?" Once he finished that question, Zabuza slashed through him and a bunch of the men behind him. Slashing through them one by one, but he only slashed the ones that were in his way and rushed towards Gato. I held my mouth. I think I'm going to do what Naruto and Sasuke did when they finished their eating contest from the amount of blood that has been shed during this battle...

I could hear the screams and battle cries of Gato's men in the crowd. Too bad that I can't be in the fight. It looks so cool! And so gross. Minus the blood, that is my favourite combination. Anyway, Zabuza looked like he was perfectly capable of handling this-Oh no. Nope. He just got stabbed in the back with a spear. That doesn't look safe... Or healthy...

Gato was still running to get to safety, but Zabuza made it past the rest of his men and looked like he was out for blood. Gato's eyes widened.

"H-He's the devil!" He screamed in terror as Zabuza charged after him.

_Yeah... Look who's talking..._

Brain! Did I say that you get a say in this?

_..._

Yeah that's what I thought...

Zabuza ran and jabbed the kunai right where Gato's heart was. If he had one that is... Anyway, Gato vomited out some blood. I shrugged. It's only Gato, no one important... The rest of Gato's surviving men quickly jabbed their weapons into Zabuza's back. Oh no! Zabuza! He's like the most important villain ever! I mean it...

"You crazy fool!" Gato choked. "If you're so eager to join your friend, go ahead. But you're not taking me. Not this time." He was already killed once? I knew it! I told you so, brain!

"I will not be joining Haku. Where he's gone, I cannot follow." He said as he made his way towards Gato.

"Stay back! Stay back!" Gato screamed.

"We wouldn't be welcome where Haku's gone to. Hell's where we are going to, Gato!" Zabuza said with a demonic smirk. "I can't think of a more fitting destination for a demon ninja, can you? I'm told that there are many demons down there. Many different shapes and sizes! Oh yes, I should fit right in! You though Gato, well, I fear that you're in for a long and painful eternity!" Zabuza screamed and continued to slash Gato's body with the kunai that he still had in his mouth. He even stepped on Gato's glasses and broke them! Finally, he slashed Gato off of the side of the bridge, sending him right into the water with a splash.

Zabuza glared at Gato's men from the corner of his eye, scaring them enough to drop their weapons in fear. They all stepped away, making a pathway for Zabuza to walk. Zabuza dropped the bloody kunai that was in his mouth and began to make his way towards us. Or rather, towards Haku. And instead of walking, he limped. Yeah...

"Haku..." He choked out as he almost tripped over. "So this is good-bye, at last..." Wait a sonic second... Did everything just get brighter all of the sudden, what the heck is going on here? Is anyone listening to me?

_I'm listening._

Not now brain!

"Not once did I ever thank you, Haku... Forgive me for that..." He apologized and then he dropped forward, onto the ground with a thud. Poor guy. I feel so sorry for him...

Naruto shook his head, closed his eyes and looked away.

"Don't turn away." Kakashi told him. "When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends." Kakashi said. Did I mention that we're twelve, or did I just totally skim over that important detail? Naruto sighed.

I blinked. Wait a minute... I know what happens after this. SASUKE! Parade for Sasuke! YAY! I can't wait to annoy-I mean see him again. Even though I can just plainly look at him while he's unconscious, but that would be weird and awkward. I sneakily backed up towards Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna. Feel free to insert a car that is backing up noise, please. And since I am such a super, ultimate ninja, I have the ability to eavesdrop on conversations.

"Sakura..." Sasuke choked out. "It's kind of hard to breathe with you on top of me..." Sakura's head shot up. She turned to look at him.

"Sasuke..!" She gasped. "Tazuna, he's alive – alive!" She told him as she gave Sasuke a big hug.

"Ow..." He grunted. "Sakura that hurts...!" He said, but Sakura didn't let go. Tazuna wiped away a few tears that he had as Sasuke sat up. "No. No. What are you doing? You shouldn't move." Sakura said with concern.

"SASUKE!" I screamed as I gave him a big hug.

"Not again...!" I heard him grunt. "Please let go of me...!"

"But I missed annoying you, Sasuke!" I whined. "It's felt like forever!"

I unwrapped my arms that were around him and smiled for a moment but then replaced it with a frown.

"What?" Sasuke asked, looking a little uncomfortable.

I slapped my hand across Sasuke's face. Hard.

"You idiot! How could you be so reckless? We all thought that you were dead! Your heart stopped, your pulse wasn't there, your skin was as cold as ice! I hate you!" I said with a pout while Sasuke just sent me a blank stare. I smiled again.

"But I am glad that you're okay! I could just kiss you!" Oops... My face went bright red as Sasuke raised a confused eyebrow.

"What?" He asked.

"Huh?" Tazuna asked.

"WHAT?" Sakura asked, surprised.

I looked at the three of them one by one.

Stupid brain! This is all your fault!

_How is it my fault? I didn't do anything!_

Exactly! You didn't tell me not to say that! That is it! Our friendship is over! I never want to talk to you again.

_Good! Because I have never talked to you anyway!_

Wait... What? Hello?

_..._

Nothing. Freedom! Anyway, back to my problem...

"As a friend." I corrected myself. Genius Melody... Genius!

"You kiss people as friends?" Sakura asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yep. It's what I do! When I feel lonely or if I haven't talked to someone for a long time, I _feel_ like kissing them, but I _don't_ do it." I said as I folded my arms with pride.

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "That is by far the worst lie that I have ever heard."

"Shut up... I've been hanging around Naruto for way too long now..." I said as I lowered my head.

Sasuke blinked. "Speaking of which, where is Naruto, and what about those other two?"He asked.

"Well, Naruto's standing right over there." I said as I pointed a thumb over at the blonde. And to make a very long story short, stuff happened, blah, blah, blah, Haku was... Sadly killed... Gato came and sadly, Zabuza was also killed... But killed Gato in the process. Now a bunch of his men are here." I replied.

"Sadly?" He asked, confused.

I sighed. "It's a long story... I'll tell you on our way back." Sasuke nodded.

"Fine..." He sighed in reply. I raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" I asked him as I tilted my head over to the side.

"Nothing... It's nothing..." Sasuke replied as he shook his head. I narrowed my eyes at him. Geez... He makes my brain look like the best roommate in the world to have...

_I can still hear you, you know!_

And I told you to shut up like five minutes ago, so I guess that neither of us got our way, did we?

_..._

I thought so...

Sasuke's eyes widened. "But, how is that guy dead. Who did it?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow. He's asks a lot of questions.

Sakura shook her head. "Oh. I came in late; I'm not sure what happened. All that I do know is that he was trying to protect Zabuza. I had faith in you Sasuke. I knew that you'd pull through. You're too cool a guy to stay down for long." She stood up.

"Naruto, over here! Look its Sasuke! He's alright! He's alright!" She called out to the blonde as Sasuke and I stood up. It's a wonder that he didn't hear all of my screaming not too long ago...

Naruto turned around with widened eyes. Sasuke looked down to the ground and raised an arm. Naruto smiled with more tears in his eyes. This is a cute moment. I love it! He turned to face Haku again with the smile still attached to his face. Oh poop! Now I'm starting to cry! Thanks a lot, you guys!

"Well, well, what wonders never seize?" Kakashi said. "Amazing..."

"Hey, yoohoo!" One of the thugs said as he banged his weapon on the ground. We all turned to look at him and the rest of the thugs. "Don't go getting too comfortable." He warned us.

"This party ain't over yet. Who's going to pay us now that Gato's gone?" Another asked.

"No way we're going to leave here empty handed. So we're just going to have to hit that village and see what they've got for us." Another told us and the others cheered.

"Not good..." Kakashi mumbled. Naruto turned to him.

"Come on, Kakashi Sensei, you must have a Jutsu that can take care of this bunch of losers!" He yelled.

"Not right now, I used up too much of my Chakra." Kakashi replied.

"Get them, boys!" One of the thugs yelled out as he pointed his weapon over at us. The other men charged right towards us. From the distance, an arrow was shot and landed right in front of the group. They stopped running and let out their gasps. We all looked back at the start of the bridge, where we saw Inari, Tsunami and a bunch of the people from the land of waves.

"There's one little thing that you're forgetting about!" Giichi yelled. "Before you set one foot in our village, you'll have to go through all of us!" The others cheered as they raised their weapons up in the air.

"Inari!" Naruto yelled happily.

"Hero's usually show up at the last minute, you know!" Inari laughed. Yeah... Hero's should probable stop making a habit out of that...

"They have all come..." Tazuna said with tears in his eyes. "The whole village..."

The group of thugs just stood there, staring at everyone with fear. Naruto turned around and made a hand sign.

"_**Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **_He yelled out. A large puff of smoke surrounded him and once it cleared, a whole bunch of Naruto's were standing there, ready for action!

Kakashi also made a hand sign. I smiled. No way I'm going to miss out on this. "I'll be right back..." I said to the guys and poofed away.

I'm now right behind the thugs. I smiled as I quickly made my hand signs. _**Ice Clone Jutsu!**_ A large puff of smoke surrounded me and all of my Ice Clones were now here. We all smiled as a large puff of smoke just surround Kakashi. Once it cleared, there was a large group of Kakashi's as well.

"_**Shadow clone Jutsu! Kakashi Style!" **_He said. Hey, they should totally make that a thing! All of the men screamed in fear. "Okay... Still want to fight?"

"No thanks!" They screamed. They turned around to run away, but they stopped once they saw me. My smile grew.

"Hi..." I said to them in a creepy voice as I waved at them.

"Where do we run now?" They asked.

"The only way is the water!" They yelled. They were all jumping off the bridge and into the water. I raised an eyebrow.

"That was way too easy... I better go back to annoying Naruto and Sasuke again. I get more laughs out of it..." I sighed. I deactivated the Jutsu and walked over to their boat that was tied to the bridge with a rope. I grabbed a kunai and cut the rope. "Whoops..." I said sarcastically and their boat began to sail away on its own.

"What the hell?" One of the thugs screamed.

"The boat's getting away!"

"Catch it!"

"Victory!" Inari yelled out happily and the crowd of people behind him cheered with joy. Once I looked up, I noticed that Naruto and Kakashi had deactivated their Jutsu's. Kakashi walked over to Zabuza. I walked over there too.

"Sounds like it's over..." He choked.

"Yeah..." Kakashi replied.

"Kakashi... I have a favour to ask." Zabuza began.

"What us it?" Kakashi asked.

"Take me to him..." Zabuza answered. "Before I go, I need to see him one last time."

Kakashi tilted his headband to cover his Sharingan eye and he looked down sadly at Zabuza. "Sure..." He replied. He looked over at me. I nodded and helped him get the weapons out of Zabuza's back. Once that was done, he picked up Zabuza and began to walk over to Haku. I looked up at the sky as snow began to fall. I haven't seen snow before, so this is a first for me...

The villagers began to mumble some things, but I couldn't hear them from the distance that I was at. Everyone else also looked up at the sky. Naruto looked like he wanted to eat it. What? He did!

Once Kakashi made it to Haku, he kneeled down and carefully lay Zabuza on the ground next to him. He stood back up.

"Thank you... Kakashi." Zabuza said. Kakashi began to walk away from the two of them.

"You were always at my side...The least I could do... Is stay beside you in the end..." Zabuza struggled to move his arm towards Haku's face, but he still managed. Somehow... "I know that it cannot be, but... I wish I could go to where you have gone... How I wish I could... Join you there... Haku..." He finished as light began to shine down on the bridge through the clouds.

"He told me..." Naruto sniffled. "Where he came from, it was always snowing... All the time..."

"Of course..." Kakashi replied. "His spirit was as pure as the snow... You never know, Zabuza, maybe you will join him there... Who's to say?"

-Later-

We were now on a cliff where we buried Zabuza's and Haku's bodies. We stuck Zabuza's blade in the ground right next to where we buried Zabuza. And we put violet flowers on their grave poles too. As the sun began to set, we stood there talking.

"Is this really it, Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Hm?" Kakashi asked.

"Is that the ninja way? To use and be used by people like tools?" Sakura asked.

"Shinobi are all merely tools in the hands of destiny. No point wondering if it's right or wrong. It just is. It's the same in the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Kakashi answered.

Naruto turned to him. "Well, if you ask me if that's what being a ninja's all about then something's out of whack! Is that why we go through all of this training? Just to end up like them?" He asked.

"What is the reason for that?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, it's a question without an answer. And that is something that we ninja have to deal with every single day of our lives. Like Zabuza and the kid." He said.

"Okay..." Naruto said after a moment of silence. I've just come to a decision. From now on, I'm finding my own ninja way – a way that's straight and true and without any regret! From now on, I'm following the way of Naruto!"

"Uh..." Kakashi began but instead of talking, he laughed.

I'm following the way of brussel sprouts. They never get eaten, so I'll never get beaten! Hey that rhymes! Nah, I'm joking, I'm joking!

-Later- -Again-

We were now going to go home and we were saying goodbye to everyone in the village.

"We could never have finished the bridge without you." Tazuna began. "I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you."

"Do be careful." Tsunami said to us. We all smiled.

"Thank you for everything." Kakashi replied.

"Now, now, don't get all choked up, we'll come back and visit real soon." Naruto promised. Yeah, when he loses a coupon for ramen, so we'll have to come straight back! I should really start reminding this guy to do stuff!

"You swear you will...?" Inari asked as he held back his tears. Naruto blinked. Tazuna placed a hand on Inari's head while Naruto was trying to hold back his tears too.

"Of course. You know Inari, it's alright if you want, there's nothing wrong with that... Go for it." Naruto replied.

"Who says that I want to cry? Anyway, if there's nothing wrong with it, why do you go on ahead and cry?" Inari replied.

"No...! You first...!" Naruto insisted.

They were both trying their best to hold in their tears while I was trying my best to hold in my laughter.

"Forget it...!" Naruto said as he turned away to cry while Inari also cried. I can't believe that I can deal with this guy, but I supposed that I can surprise even myself...

Once the crying was over, we all began to walk away from the villagers and across the bridge. You may be wondering, 'Melody, how did you survive all of that blood?' Well, the answer is that I didn't. You should've seen the mess that I made. But no, you shouldn't. It's gross... Really gross.

So the bridge was named The Great Naruto Bridge and everyone lived happily ever after. For this arc at least...

Naruto laughed. "As soon as we get back, I'm going to get Iruka Sensei to fix me up a whole mess of ramen to celebrate our mission accomplished. Oh! And just wait until I tell Konohamaru about all of my adventures! The kid's going to worship me!" He said.

"No way!" I said. "If you tell the kid the story, then you're just going to turn everything around and add some stuff that never even happened just to make out that you saved everyone." I told him with my head up in the air.

"Oh, come on Melody, please...!" He pleaded. "I won't do that, I swear!"

"No. I have a better idea. How about I tell Konohamaru, while you're at the other side of the village?" I suggested.

"NO!" He said.

"Hey," Sakura began.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Not you, Sasuke. After we get back do you want to go out and do something?" She asked.

"I don't think so. Thanks." Sasuke replied.

"Oh." Sakura said as she stopped walking. "Okay..."

"Sakura, I could do something with you if you want." Naruto suggested.

"WHAT?" Sakura screamed. "That was a private conversation! Beat it!" She yelled as she threw Naruto off the bridge.

"On a totally unrelated note, Sakura, we could do something if you want, you know, just us girls." I said to her.

"Sure." She replied.

"Oh come on!" Naruto screamed. "Sakura, please...!"

"No way, Naruto!"

Ha! Now that that's over, it's almost time for the Chunin Exams! Oh... Great... This means almost certain death... I hope that we can handle it...

_**Closing:**_

_**Cultivate your hunger,**_

_**Before you idealize,**_

_**Motivate your anger,**_

_**To make them all realize,**_

_**Climbing the mountain,**_

_**Never coming down,**_

_**Break into the contents,**_

_**Never falling down.**_

_**My knee is still shakin'**_

_**Like I was twelve,**_

_**Sneaking out of the classroom,**_

_**By the back door,**_

_**A man railed at me twice though,**_

_**But I didn't care,**_

_**Waiting is wasting for people like me.**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes or fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**Don't try to live so wise,**_

_**Don't cry 'cause you're so right,**_

_**Don't dry with fakes and fears,**_

'_**Cause you will hate yourself in the end…**_

_**(Naruto and Melody Voice-over)**_

(Naruto) Here I am! I'm back from defeating Zabuza!

(Melody) Technically, you didn't defeat him. You didn't defeat anyone that was Kakashi!

(Naruto) I did most of the work!

(Melody) And you wonder why I didn't want you to tell Konohamaru the story...

(Naruto) Speaking of which... What is with this guy? What's he doing here? He's freaking me out!

(Melody) Looks like Sasuke has another rival.

(Naruto) Why is it always Sasuke?

(Naruto and Melody) Next time...

A New Chapter Begins: The Chunin Exam!

_**Extra: No POV:**_

"What? You mean you can just stand there and let him get treated like a dog?"

-Somewhere else- -In the Leaf Village-

"Come here, Akamaru!" Kiba yelled out to his white dog. Akamaru sneezed and quickly ran over to him. Kiba picked him up and raised an eyebrow.

"Someone must be talking about you Akamaru." Kiba said with a grin. Akamaru tilted his head to the side and barked. "I don't know how it works; it's just what the people say." Akamaru barked again. "I don't know who made it up or why, they just did." Akamaru barked.

"You know what..." Kiba sighed. "Forget that I mentioned it..."

_**Authors Notes:**_

_**SonicShaymin2: WE MADE IT THROUGH THE ZABUZA ARC! SAY HOORAY FOR ME!**_

_**Melody: Finally, it's going to be the Chunin Exams! About freaking time!**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Sasuke read the script!**_

_**Sasuke: No.**_

_**SonicShaymin2: Fine... You're too hard to deal with...**_

_**Sasuke: Review.**_

_**SonicShaymin2: I thought you said no.**_

_**Sasuke: I live by my own rules. Get used to it.**_

_**Sakura: We have used too many references in this chapter...**_

_**SonicShaymin2: I AM THE ANGEL OF WRITING!**_

_**Melody: What?**_

_**QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER:**_

_**WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMBER OF TEAM SEVEN? INCLUDING MELODY! YOU CAN CHOOSE UP TO TWO CHARACTERS!**_


End file.
